The Messy Middle

where grace and truth reside

Book, Summer Reading Challenge

Summer 2017 Reading Challenge is Over {Enter and win}

The day that we have all been longing for is here :)! The end of the Summer 2017 Reading Challenge. Like runners at the end of a race, maybe you have stumbled across the finish line and are now collapsed and gasping for air.

But once you catch your breath, HIGH FIVE TO YOU! You made it! I made it! We made it! On Tuesday as I checked into the gym, I chatted with the front desk gal about what I had going on this week. I mentioned writing this post about the end of our Summer Reading Challenge ad told her the goal was 7 books, but that I had read 16 books. A trainer standing next to her looked at me like I am an alien and asked, “Do you have a job?!”

Ha!!! I do. But these challenges help me live into the person I want to be. So, I repeat. HIGH FIVES all around! We made it.

Well, how did it go? Remember, in The Summer Reading Challenge the goal was to read seven books between June 1 and August 17th. You enter for one of the ten $10 Amazon gift cards by leaving a comment on this post. Even if you didn’t read seven, still share what you read! This isn’t really a contest so much as a chance to share and a chance to see how many books we read collectively.

I’m going to put the categories here if you want to cut and paste them into the comments. Also feel free to just list books, whatever works for you.

  1. A book related to professional development (can be loosely interpreted).
  1. A book that helps you understand part of history better.
  1. A book placed in a country you’re not familiar with OR about a country you’re not familiar with.
  1. A YA book.
  1. A book recommended by a friend.
  1. A graphic novel.
  1. A book you’ve been meaning to read.
  1. A book published more than 100 years ago.
  1. A book recommended by a teenager.
  1. A biography.
  1. A play.
  1. A memoir
  1. A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with.
  1. A book that won an award.
  1. A book you read years ago and have meant to reread.
  1. A book that has been translated into English.
  1. A book that is more than 700 pages  (counts for two books!)
  1. A mystery.
  1. A book related to a skill (like cooking, writing, photography, or web-design).
  1. A book by an author you know. 

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1. A book related to professional development (can be loosely interpreted).

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. Sheryl’s husband dropped dead on the basketball court, dropping her into Option B for her life. Interested in learning about fostering resilience? This book is for you.

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick Lencioni. A must read. One of the best reads of the summer. Life is messy and hard, yes. But that doesn’t mean we are helpless. Highly skilled people are not the primary advantage, organizational health is. Again, a must read for your family, team, church, non-profit, or job.

Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David. If you find yourself stuck in a pattern of thinking or behaving that isn’t helping you? This books will help.

2. A book that helps you understand part of history better.

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang. This two book graphic novels brilliantly tells the Boxer Rebellion in China (1900) from both the side of the Boxers and a Chinese convert to Christianity (Saint). If history really isn’t your bag, maybe try coming in through the side door of the graphic novel.

4. A Young Adult (YA) book. 

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson. From Amazon: “This is the true story of a city under siege: the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power—and layered meaning—of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award–winning author M. T. Anderson.” Longest siege in recorded history (872 days) and more people died in this siege than all of American and British deaths. Fascinating and disturbing.

5. A book recommended by a friend.

The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway. Okay, so half read in May, half after the challenge began. My friend (and also an author) Kay Bruner recommended this memoir for the Velvet Ashes book club. From Amazon, “Conway spent her first 11 years in the windswept grasslands of Australia, where her father owned 30,000 acres of arid land. Though his ability to understand the land was extensive, an eight-year drought finally defeated him, and he comitted suicide. A few years later, Conway’s oldest brother died in an automobile accident. The two deaths plunged her mother into depression. Out of this tale of hard work, drought, and sorrow, Conway emerges with character and personal strength.”

6. A graphic novel.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. From Amazon: “Jin Wang starts at a new school where he’s the only Chinese-American student. When a boy from Taiwan joins his class, Jin doesn’t want to be associated with an FOB like him. Jin just wants to be an all-American boy, because he’s in love with an all-American girl. Danny is an all-American boy: great at basketball, popular with the girls. But his obnoxious Chinese cousin Chin-Kee’s annual visit is such a disaster that it ruins Danny’s reputation at school, leaving him with no choice but to transfer somewhere he can start all over again.”

7. A book you’ve been meaning to read.

Ugh. The ONE book I started this whole challenge last summer to read? Still have not read. Sigh :).

9. A book recommended by a teenager. 

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi. My oldest niece read this last summer and recommended it to me. Bonus, this is a graphic novel and read quickly. If you want a quick, light read about Shackleton, this is a good place to start. If you want more, try Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage.

12. A memoir.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance. Wow. I had to keep reminding myself that J.D. is YOUNGER than me. I was not reading the life of someone from a different era. He writes beautifully honest about the hillbilly culture he was able to escape. One takeaway? Do not underestimate the power of one person (his grandma) to change a life.

Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron. If someone you know and love has experienced or experiences depression and you don’t, this memoir is for you. Styron is able to verbalize his experience in such a way that you will go, “Oh, wow, it’s like that?” A short, but powerful read.

13. A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with.

Letters to a Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash. I discovered this book in the library trying to find a book by or about the Dalai Lama. Ghobash is interesting because he is half-Russian, half-UAE, studied in London, and is now the ambassador to Russia from the UAE. These letters were written to his sons. He seems more of a moderate muslim. It wasn’t a bad read, but didn’t really help me understand a perspective that different from a western educated person.

14. A book that won an award.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel by Rachel Joyce. It won the UK National Book Award for New Writer of the Year 2012.“You have to love Harold Fry, a man who set out one morning to mail a letter and then just kept going. . . . Like Christian in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, Harold becomes Everyman in the eyes of those who encounter him. . . . Harold’s journey, which parallels Christian’s nicely but not overly neatly, takes him to the edge of death and back again. It will stick with you, this story of faith, fidelity and redemption.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune. I’m a fan of Harold! If you liked A Man Called Ove: A Novel, this is your kind of book.

16. A book that has been translated into English. 

Speaking of . . . A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman. I am 75% through re-reading this book. We are reading it for the Velvet Ashes book club and loving it!

17. A book that is more than 700 pages (counts for two books!)

Double UGH. See #7

19. A book related to a skill (like cooking, writing, photography, or web-design).

Is finding readers a skill for a writer? I think so :). The Prosperous Writer’s Guide to Finding Readers: Build Your Author Brand, Raise Your Profile, and Find Readers to Delight by Honoree Corder. 

20. A book by an author you know. 

Flee, Be Silent, Pray: An Anxious Evangelical Finds Peace with God through Contemplative Prayer by Ed Cyzewski. I loved this book. Though I didn’t come out of the Catholic tradition, I found Ed to be a fellow companion in seeking to add contemplative practices to his life.

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You can see I didn’t read in every category and I’m drawn to non-fiction more than fiction. Next summer I’m going to make better categories to encourage novel reading :). Seriously? Why didn’t I read a novel or a play? Why can I not pass up a memoir (I didn’t include all I read because I am an addict and this is embarrassing).

I come back to this not being a contest, if you read four books and that was your goal, great! I just find that I’m more likely to accomplish my goals if I tell people what they are.

I can’t wait to see what you’ve been reading. I’ll pick winners next Tuesday so you have time this weekend to leave a comment.

Thank you for joining in!

Amy

P.S. I have a little something up my sleeve for us in September :). Are you curious? Ha!—That was a clue.

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Comments

  1. Been waiting for this! Here is my list from this summer. Unfortunately this summer didn’t allow me more time for reading. Love these challenges. Still have a few left to read but hopefully can do that throughout the school year. ;)

    Summer 2017 Reading Challenges
    1. Self-Editing for Fictional Writer by Renni Browne & Dave King
    3. Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
    4. The Book Thief (Anniversary Edition with new content) by Markus Zusak
    5. Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
    6. The Legend of Huma by Richard A. Knaak
    7. Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang
    12. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
    13. The Tibetan Book of the Dead by Robert A. F. Thurman
    14. The Pope & Mussolini by David Kertzer
    15. Stone Angel by Margret Lawrence
    16. Night (New translation) by Elie Wiesel
    17. The Once and Future King by T.H. White
    18. Still Life by Louise Penny
    19. The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith
    20. Stormy Seas & Silent Shores, A Journey Towards Hope by Emma Witmer

    Reply

    • I love reading your list, Rhonda!! What did you think of Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford? Would it be a good one for a non-Mongolian expert, like me, to read?

      Reply

      • Thanks Amy! I do like a variety. ;) Yes, definitely something you should read. It has great insight to the Mongolian empire and you may be surprised at some of what
        we have today is thanks to Ghengis. I certainly learned a lot and now have a better understanding of the culture and the people.

        Reply

  2. Hi Amy,

    I love that you do this challenge. This challenge helps me get out of my ruts and read different books, much like the book club does. :o)

    #2 A Book related to history: The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester. This book told about the history of the English Oxford Dictionary. It was very fascinating how it all came together.

    #4 and #9. A young adult book & A book recommended by a teenager: The Truth About Forever by Sara Dessen. This is a fictional book about a young girl who saw her father die and how she dealt with it.

    #5 A book recommended by a friend: The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer. It was okay for me, I guess I am used to thrillers moving a little faster and this one felt slow to me.

    #10 A biography – I actually read two of these Katharina and Martin Luther by Michelle DeRusha – excellent book (this one could also be #5 – thanks Amy!) I was fascinated with life in the 16th century and how the former monks and nuns dealt with the change in their religious lives.

    The other one I read was Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady by Susan Quinn. This one was about Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickock and their love for each other.

    #14 A Book that won an award: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel by Rachel Joyce (see Amy’s post above for the award)

    #18 A mystery: Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo. This is the first novel in a series about a woman who was raised Amish and left, but now she is back home and is the chief of police for her small home town. Very interesting to see how she deals with both the “English” and the Amish side.

    #19 A book related to a skill: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. I wasn’t sure whether to put this under #1 or #19, but I thought tidying up seemed more like a skill than a book on professional development (even if it is loosely interpreted). Very short read, interesting attitude towards decluttering for sure.

    Thanks again for doing this Amy, I love branching out and reading different genres.
    Mabel

    Reply

    • Me too Mabel! — love the nudge that these reading challenges are. Next year I need to push myself further out of my comfort bubble :). But, I’m still pleased with how I did this year –several books I read I know i would NOT have read them were it not for this challenge. :)

      Reply

  3. I started and…didn’t finish! But, still giving myself a pat on the back with how much I read given the summer busy season. :)

    Here’s what I was able to finish:

    1. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (YA Book/Recommended by a teenager)
    2. Rising Strong by Brené Brown (Recommended)
    3. Troublemaker by Leah Remini (Someone you might not spiritually agree with)
    4. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Translated into English)
    5. Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning (A book I’ve been meaning to (re) read) :)

    and.. 6) countless pages of my Crisis Management textbook in order to get a head start on this upcoming semester. Maybe it counts?! Ha!

    The challenge was great at getting me into a variety of books that I wouldn’t typically read. Also, it made me super thankful that I still have access to my library in the states through their download portal! I think I’ll keep working my way through this list to help me branch out a bit! I enjoyed it.

    Reply

    • Raven, countless pages of Crisis Management definitely count!!!! 😌 And I agree with you, libraries that have download portals are a gift!!! And I’m going to assume you WOULD have finished if you hadn’t been doing work to help Velvet Ashes. Good deeds have to count for something, right? I think they are worth, oh, say, two books :).

      Reply

  4. A book related to professional development (can be loosely interpreted).
    Picking Flowers on Dusty Roads – Oddny Gumaer

    A YA book.
    A Single Shard

    A book recommended by a friend.
    The Atonement Child

    A book you’ve been meaning to read.
    Crazy Love (technically I have two more chapters but I’m reading along with our women’s group so I didn’t want to read ahead)

    A book published more than 100 years ago.
    The Scarlet Letter

    A memoir
    Undaunted – Zoya Phan

    A book that has been translated into English.
    My Name is Ove (also haven’t finished the end since I’m following along the VA book club!)

    I really enjoyed A Single Shard. It’s an easy read that was part of the curriculum at the international school where I used to work.

    The two memoirs were more challenging. (Picking Flowers is a memoir of types by the founder of an NGO.) They were not something I could binge-read and contained a lot of heavy stories. That said, they really helped me understand the stories of individuals affected by the ongoing conflict in Burma. First hand stories of the events from the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s – this has given me so much insight into the people I see every day and especially some of my staff who don’t like to share their stories but have experienced similar trauma.

    Thanks for the motivation to read and the encouragement to branch out!

    Reply

    • Stephanie! So glad you joined! And being a memoir junkie, I’ll read the two you suggest. What you said about memoir is, in part, why I love them . . . understanding a situation or place from one person’s point of view. But I also agree, some are rather heavy (as they should be, when you look at where they took place, or what they are about) and can’t really be binged read.

      Glad for your list!

      Reply

      • I recently listened to a Brene Brown FB Live talk (about Charlottesville) and she was talking about perspective – how we cannot take off our own lens of seeing the world, but listening to and believing people’s stories, as they tell them to you, is how you develop empathy. I hadn’t connected it until reading your reply but memoirs are a great way to do that.

        Reply

  5. I’m not a “good” reader, but I’m delighted and inspired! While reading your article I created a file & called it: “Books to Read” and when I finish my comment I’m going to order the following from Amazon:
    1. The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything else in Business by Patrick Lencioni.
    2. Symphony of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson.
    3. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
    4. Darkness Visible: A Memior of madness by William Styron
    Thank you Amy! You always ignite light and joy in my soul!!!

    Reply

  6. Yay for the summer reading challenge! I always read a lot during the summer, but I really enjoy looking back at what I read and how many different categories the books fit in. This summer I had more time at home to relax, so I read 15 books (or 16 if the long one really counts as two :). Here’s my descriptions of what I read:

    4. A YA book.
    –The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able by Natalie Grigson. I got this one for free with Amazon Prime. It was really fun and imaginative. Great if you like fantasy in particular and books in general.

    –The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King. Also fantasy, but uses an imaginative blend of Middle Eastern religious ideas that was interesting. Reminded me of the Hunger Games series. Enjoyable.

    5. A book recommended by a friend.
    –The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as my friend thought I would. I guessed what was going on quite early, so it didn’t really have the same element of suspense for me that I was hoping it would.

    7. A book you’ve been meaning to read.
    –Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. This has been on my list for a few years now. I kept putting it off because it is a hard read (the dialect is difficult for me to get through). It wasn’t my favorite, but I am glad I read it.

    8. A book published more than 100 years ago.
    –The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is a great writer, but I had to read this over the whole summer because it’s hard to read a lot of his stuff at once. Enjoyed it, though.

    11. A play.
    –Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. I wasn’t going to read this because all my friends who love Harry Potter hated it, but my sister-in-law had it and I needed a light read while I was visiting them. I also hated it. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

    12. A memoir
    –Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. She adopted 13 Ugandan children and started a large non-profit organization before she was 22. Very impressive!!

    –Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. This is a great story about people who broke through barriers of race and class to discover what it really means to love one another. This book made me think about how amazing the world would be if everyone truly lived out the commands of Jesus.

    16. A book that has been translated into English.
    –The Map of Chaos by Felix J. Palma. This is the end of a trilogy that completely fascinated me, based on the writings of H.G. Wells with H.G. Wells as a main character and creating a lot of twists to his stories. It was really creative and interesting. Long books again (this one nearly fits in category 17 but not quite), but I love lengthy tomes if they are good!

    17. A book that is more than 700 pages (counts for two books!)
    –A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. I’m working my way through the Song of Ice and Fire series, which is super long! This third book itself was 1216 pages, which is the longest book I have read in many years by far! I love fantasy, but these books are not on the same level as the Lord of the Rings for me. I’m sticking with it though, because the writing is good and the characters are interesting.

    18. A mystery.
    –Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine. This was another Amazon Prime free book. I was intrigued by the idea (woman’s husband was a serial killer and she didn’t know it, and a mystery surrounding her later in life when she is running from haters), but it ended up being quite dark and the story and writing were not as compelling as I had hoped.

    19. A book related to a skill (like cooking, writing, photography, or web-design).
    –Prayer by Philip Yancey. I put this here because I think prayer is definitely a skill that can be developed. I learned a lot from this book, but I’m still working on developing my skill in prayer.

    20. A book by an author you know.
    –Love, Amy by Amy Young. Really enjoyed reading this, even though I really wondered whether I would like reading a whole book of newsletters. It really took me back to my years in China and also encouraged me to continue on with my newsletter writing now (I’m not very consistent). You are a great writer, Amy!

    Other (these don’t fit in any of your categories!)
    –Sweet Sanctuary by Sheila Walsh and Cindy Martinusen-Coloma. This was a nice Christian fiction book about a single mom with a gifted child. I liked it okay but it was unremarkable.

    –Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By and Touched By an Angel by Dan Abnett. I really enjoy watching the show Doctor Who, so I read this. It was good, but I think in this case I prefer to watch it. It didn’t really have the same appeal on the page as on the screen.

    Reply

    • So many comments to make :)! I agree, that it is fun and valuable to look back at what I’ve read. I was impressed with the variety — and for the nudge of the challenge to move beyond “I should read different books” to “look, I read more variety than I thought.”

      And 1216 pages?! Oh my word on every level. The person who wrote it, the person(s) who edited it!!! The person who did the formatting, AND then those who read it. Impressive all around :)!!

      And thank you for your kind words on “Love, Amy” — it’s humbling to hear your feedback. (Would you mind leaving a short review on Amazon? You could just cut and paste what you wrote here).

      Enjoy another school year!!

      Reply

  7. Here’s my list:
    2) Book related to history: The Astronaut Wives Club : a true story by Lily Koppel
    3) Book placed in unfamiliar country: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (really a great book, and a very interesting read)
    4) YA book: The Duke of Bannerman Prep by Katie A. Nelson
    5) Book recommended by a friend: Reckless Faith by Beth Guckenberger
    6) Graphic Novel: Bandette by Paul Tobin
    7) Book you’ve been meaning to read: Across the Universe by Beth Revis
    8) Book published 100+ years ago: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
    9) Book recommended by teenager: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
    12) Memoir: I Am a Secret Service Agent: My Life Spent Protecting the President by Dan Emmett
    14) A book that won an award: The Serpent King: a novel by Jeff Zentner
    15) Book you read years ago and reread: The Comet’s Curse by Dom Testa
    18) Mystery: I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
    19) Book related to a skill: The How-To Handbook by Martin Oliver and Alexandra Johnson
    20) A book by someone you know: This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years by Jaquelle Crowe

    Reply

    • Dearest Em, reading through your list gives me hope for the future of the whole wide world!! And I”m mightily impressed with some of the books read! Your proud aunt. :)

      Reply

  8. I didn’t think I would be able to get 7 books in but I did! It was good to have the challenge of reading in categories I don’t normally choose. Here’s my list:

    A book related to professional development: Family and Faith in Asia by Paul H. De Neui (focused on the dynamics of family in Buddhist cultures)

    A book that helps you understand a part of history better: Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick (about George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Revolutionary War)

    A YA book: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

    A book you’ve been meaning to read: Univited by Lysa TerKeurst

    A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with: The Lakota Way by Joseph M. Marshall lll (about the core values of the Lakota tradition)

    A book that has been translated into English: About the Night by Anat Talshir (about a Jewish girl and a Palestinian Christian man who fall in love in Israel in the 1940s)

    A mystery: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (also a book I read a long time ago! The first book in the Nancy Drew series)

    Thanks for doing this, Amy! I had fun choosing different books to read, and I’m enjoying seeing what others read too!

    Reply

    • Sarah, so fun to read through your list! One of my favorite parts of this challenge is to see the influence of where people live on their lists :). And the Carolyn Keene book?! Love that. I remember reading that book many, many summers ago. It seems linked in the recesses of my mind with Michigan . . . so maybe I read it on a summer vacation to my grandparents?

      Reply

  9. 1 A book related to History: Courage has no color
    2.A book placed in a country I’m not familiar with: The Zookeeper’s Wife
    3. A Young Adult book: Eleanor and Park
    4. A book Recommended by a friend: Orphan Train
    5. A Play The Ideal Husband
    6. A Memoir: Miracle Boy Grows Up
    7. A book by an author you know: Believers Baptism

    I really loved doing this. I was especially challenged to pick books in categories that I otherwise would not have picked. The young adult book was my favorite. I read all of the time but this was a book that I just couldn’t put down! I enjoyed Courage has no color. I am not inclined to read a non-fiction book for pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised and learned more about history through reading this!

    Reply

    • Spring, if only you and I could brain swap for a bit . . . I’d love to read my fiction for pleasure, and you could use part of my brain for non-fiction for pleasure :).

      And I’m SO delighted you read a play. That is on my “must read” for next summer :)!!!

      Reply

  10. By the way I’ve read the graphic novels you did, I would love to hear your perspective on them. As someone unfamiliar with China and it’s history I was fascinated. I also was taken aback a bit by the perspective in the saints book.

    I didn’t get to read a graphic novel. My daughter has Pilgram’s progress in graphic novel form. Maybe next year :)

    Reply

    • Hey Spring, I was a little surprised that I read four :). That’s not my norm! At first I was a little surprised . . . I think I wanted something cleaner and more (to me) spiritually deep on the surface. But by the end (don’t want to give much away here), it seemed she really had come to a true faith. In other ways, it rang very true — I could see the church being a haven for those who were viewed as “not worth it” by society (for whatever reason — you’re a girl, you’re handicapped). It was a good wake up call to me to not overly romanticize the work we do :)

      Reply

  11. 2. (History) Dunkirk: The Men They Left Behind by Sean Longden (my late Uncle in Scotland was captured outside of Dunkirk and was in a Nazi POW camp in Poland for 5 years!
    5. (Book recommended by a friend) NJ Senator Cory Booker’s Summer Book Read is Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond. Well, Cory Booker is not my friend, but living in NJ, I appreciate that a Senator would recommend a book to read. (No points for this category as I have not read it YET. It’s still summer in NJ!)
    6. (Graphic Novel) Saints by Gene Luen Yang (beginning to read Boxers)
    7. (Book, meaning to read) A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (read this book with my book club. Have not watched the TV version of the book)
    11. (Play) Bought the play – Dear Evan Hansen which won the Tony for Best Musical. Will read it. Hope to get tickets for the play in 2018 in NYC. (No points for me for this category!)
    12. (Memoir) My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues by Pamela Paul (editor of the New York Times Book Review and heard her speak at Barnes and Noble)
    17. Middlemarch – I’m still slogging through it. WILL READI IT ALL BEFORE THE 2018 SUMMER CHALLENGE! (Maybe a plus, not a minus for attempting to read Middlemarch. Has anyone else read this book in your summer reading challenge?

    (Is there a category for books bought but not read!!!!)

    ALSO, DOES ANYONE KNOW OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT DISTRIBUTES BOOKS TO PRISON LIBRARIES?

    Reply

    • Kathleen, I love knowing what you are reading. And the side comments!! Reminds me of how we met in NT 512 :). What a connection with the Dunkirk book! Did your uncle talk much about his experiences? 5 years? Wow. I am thankful he lived.

      And I’m not sure about organizations that distribute books to prisons … but hopefully others will know!

      Reply

  12. 1. A book related to professional development
    -I also read The Advantage! I watched the video you posted, shared it with my Christian school team, and then started reading the book. We met together at a monastery up on the mountain for a work retreat last month and last week we started communicating our newly defined vision to our leadership team and school directors. I’m excited to see what impact it’s going to have on our organization.

    3. A book placed in a country you’re not familiar with OR about a country you’re not familiar with.
    -Currently reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

    4. A YA book.
    -brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

    7. A book you’ve been meaning to read.
    -The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

    12. A memoir
    -The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander

    17. A book that is more than 700 pages
    -I’m so close to finishing Harry Potter et les reliques de la mort (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in French)

    19. A book related to a skill
    -Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin

    20. A book by an author you know.
    -Love, Amy :)

    This challenge was great! So often if I’m looking for a new book, my default is West African Literature. And look! All of these books are outside of that genre!

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  13. A book placed in a country I’m not familar:
    Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

    A young adult book:
    An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

    A book recommended by a friend:
    Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark

    A book you’ve been meaning to read:
    Recovering Redemption by Matt Chandler

    A memoir:
    Tuesday’s With Morrie by Mitch Albom

    A book you read years ago:
    And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

    A mystery:
    Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

    I loved this reading challenge! In a transitional season while looking for work it gave me something to keep my mind going instead of turning to Netflix everyday.

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  14. While I didn’t officially “join”, I read at least seven of these categories as I was in our local library summer reading program (still two weeks left)! I like the category creativity and will perhaps suggest some to the local branch for next summer. :) Thanks!

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    • The last one I’m reading right now is, “First They Killed My Father”. What a good note to end on, right? :-/

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  15. 1 and 2…A book that is more than 700 pages  (counts for two books!)…
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling. I never jumped on this band wagon years ago as it is outside my normal genre. I had started reading the series before your book club was presented, but hadn’t yet finished. I thought this book would fit the category for two books. =)

    3…A play…
    Continuing the Harry Potter Series…Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling. This was the first play I ever read!

    4…A biography…
    God’s Double Agent by Bob Fu. I had bought this book quite some time back and finally found time to read it.

    5…A book by an author you know…
    The Memorial Box by Linny Saunders. I have read and loved Linny’s blog for years and I met her in person a couple of years ago as her family was on a road trip and stopped to speak at a church in my State. The Memorial Box idea is taken from Joshua 4 where God told the Israelites to gather 12 stones and build an altar. Then through the generations as their children and grandchildren asked why the altar was there, they were to remember God’s faithfulness of holding back the Jordan River so the Ark of the Covenant and the children of Israel could cross on dry ground. Linny and her family have a Memorial Box (and encourage others to have one) where they place items to remind them of God’s faithfulness in their lives. This book retold a handful of their memories. This was my favorite book this summer!

    6…A book you read years ago and have meant to reread…
    The Partner by John Grisham. Back in December 2000 I was living in the Philippines. My parents sent a box with my Christmas presents. All of the presents were from Mom and Dad, except this book. Dad had heard about it from a guy with whom he worked and wanted to get it for me. Mom was worried that I wouldn’t like it since it wasn’t the type of book I usually read. Therefore, the book was from Dad alone. If I didn’t like it, it would be his fault. Haha! Mom shouldn’t have worried. I liked the book!

    7…A graphic novel…
    Emma by Kaoru Mori. This book took some getting used to as you had to read from back to front and from right to left. It was an interesting story. Unfortunately it is an eight (?) volume series and my library only has two volumes so I don’t know if I’ll finish it. However, I never would have picked up a graphic novel in the first place if it wasn’t for your encouragement.

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  16. Love this as it makes me read.

    1. A book related to professional development (can be loosely interpreted).- 5+1 Write Traits
    2. A book that helps you understand part of history better- March
    3. A YA book- The war that saved my life
    4. A book recommended by a friend.- A Man Called Ove
    5. A book written by a friend- Love, Amy
    6. A book you read years ago and have meant to reread- Anne of green gables
    7. A mystery- Crocodile on the sandbank

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  17. 1. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott~ professional reading/skill

    2. Silence by Shusaku Endo ~ translated

    3. Forge by Laura Halse Anderson ~YA

    4. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald ~ read long ago and wanted to read again

    5. Of Stillness and Storm by Michele Phoenix ~ recommended by a feoend

    6. Called to Chna: Attie Bostick’s life and missionary letters from China 1900~1943 by Rebekah E Adams ~ memoir

    7. Beyond the Stone Arches: An American doctor in China 1892~1932 by Edward Bliss Jr ~ Historical period in China I wanted to read more about for my novel. So work related.

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  18. First of all, I LOVED reading Harold Fry–I’ve thought of it several times as I’ve been listening to “A Man Called Ove”, but I think Harold was far more charming and…endearing? I like them both.

    Okay, my list. I do have a life, I promise. A lot of them I listened to while traveling:

    1. A book related to professional development (can be loosely interpreted). My book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki

    2. A book related to history. My book: The King’s General, by Daphne DuMaurier

    3. A book placed in a country I’m not familiar with OR about a country I’m not familiar with. My book: Road from Coorain, by Jill Ker Conway (Australia)

    4. A young adult (YA) book. My book: The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

    7 A book you’ve been meaning to read. My book: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards

    8. A book published more than 100 years ago. My book: The Minister’s Restoration by George MacDonald

    9. A book recommended by a teenager. My book: The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

    10. A biography. My book: 7 Women by Eric Metaxas

    12. A memoir. My book: Farewell to the East End, by Jennifer Worth (sequel to Call the Midwife)

    13. A book by someone you might not spiritually agree with. My book: The Scavenger’s Daughters (VA Book Club)

    15. A book you read years ago and have meant to reread. My book: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

    17. A book that is more than 700 pages (counts for two books!) My book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (also fits in the category of over 100 years old and books I’ve been meaning to read for a long time)

    20. A book by an author you know. My book: No More Faking Fine, by Esther Fleece AND Love Amy, by YOU.

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  19. So…I didn’t quite make it to 7, but I was surprised (and proud) that I was able to read/listen to as many books as I did considering I was packing for an international move in June and traveling all over visiting family in July & August. I didn’t pay attention to the categories they’d belong to, but here are my books:

    1. The Other Einstein: This book was actually recommended to me by my library. It’s a novel, because the author imagines what Marie’s life was like based on history. It was a really interesting read that I just could not put down. Sad in some parts, but also inspiring to learn about a woman who knew so much about math and science.
    2. Songbird: I HAD to finish the Shiloh series, and even though I’m not too much into dragons and such, I really enjoyed seeing all the pieces of this story finally come together. I own all three books now and expect to read through them again several times.
    3. Zenn Diagram: Being a math teacher and a reading teacher, I’m drawn to kids books that have to do with math. This one has a girl who is not only good at math, but can sense other people’s “chaos” in the form of fractals. So cool!!! It’s a YA read for sure, and I’m not sure it’s a book I’d use in my classroom because of some of the lifestyle choices in it, but definitely has potential for great discussions!
    4. One Half From the East: I attended a reading conference this summer and saw this book at a booth. I was immediately drawn to it because it’s set in Afghanistan, and having just recently taught in the Middle East, I’m always looking for books that are culturally relevant. Wow! This book blew me away! It’s a novel about a girl who is allowed to dress like a boy and how she experiences life differently because of it. Really got me thinking about gender issues. So…that led me to my next book, also written by the same author.
    5. The Pearl that Broke Its Shell: This book, I thought, continued the story from above, but actually it was written first and #4 is the YA version. This one has an added twist because it jumps around in time (from the past to the present), and it explores the gender issues even more. Definitely not as “light” as the YA novel, but true to life, I think.
    6. The Zookeeper’s Wife: On one of my flights this summer, I started the movie and wasn’t able to finish it. So, I thought I’d read the book. I haven’t finished it yet (3 chapters left), mostly because in addition to telling a story, the author provides a lot of facts to flesh out the lives of this woman and her family. (The added context is good, but sometimes I skim over the facts to get back to the story.) I can already tell that Hollywood did NOT keep to the storyline, but dramatized some trivial things. I’m waiting until I finish the book to the finish the movie.
    7. I’m also listening to A Man Called Ove. To be honest, every time I do, I fall asleep. I’m only in Chapter 8 (for that reason), but I haven’t gotten too into Ove yet. I did watch the movie clip, and I think I’d enjoy watching. We’ll see! I don’t want to give up on him just yet.

    Thanks, Amy, for having this challenge. I know I would have gone crazy at many different times through this transition had it not been for my books. I have a few on standby for the added messiness of resettling over the next few weeks.

    Reply

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