Just Keep Reading: 2015

12.31.2015

My 2015 Year in Reading

According to Goodreads, I read 530 books in 2015; they somehow calculated that I read 41,640 pages. (I'm pretty sure that's not correct because they listed the shortest book I read--Douglas Florian's A Painter--as being only 1 page in length.) Considering my goal was to read, on average, a book a day, it wasn't too shabby of a year!

9.28.2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA

I'm back after three weeks of neglecting to post my reads. And, honestly, I'm too tired and swamped with other stuff to go back and try to post them retroactively. Sometimes, you have to cut your losses and move on!

This week it's pretty obvious that I focused on reading graphic novels/comics and books about butterflies. I think I've mentioned before that I default to reading GNs/comics when I feel a bit too overwhelmed to start a chapter book but I need to be reading something. And I have a read-aloud for The Reading Connection this coming week, hence the caterpillar/butterfly-themed books.

I decided to omit the "What I'm Reading Now" and "What I Plan to Read This Week" sections because having them looming over me unchanged from previous weeks when I know I won't get around to those books makes me feel guilty!

[To rehash the concept :: post what you read last week, what you're reading now, and what you plan to read this week. If you have a review of the book(s), great! If you have a picture of the book(s), wonderful! If you have a book giveaway, fantastic! If you just list the title(s) of the book(s), not a problem! Make it as simple or as complex as you need it to be. At least, that's the message I got. This version of the meme is hosted by Jen and Kellee of Teach Mentor Text, which, in turn, was inspired by Sheila over at Book Journey, who hosts the original It's Monday! What Are You Reading?]

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:

Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett

Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Leslie Wu

Fancy Nancy, Bonjour Butterfly by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

Flop to the Top! by Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing

Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar by Janet Pedersen

Hurry and the Monarch by Antoine O Flatharta, illustrated by Meilo So

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

Lillian's Right to Vote by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Little Green Peas: A Big Book of Colors by Keith Baker

The Mitten String by Jennifer Rosner, illustrated by Kristina Swarner

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, #5: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale

Owly & Wormy, Friends All Aflutter! by Andy Runton

Phoebe and Her Unicorn: A Heavenly Nostrils Chronicle by Dana Simpson

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer, illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown

Totally Tardy Marty by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert

The War at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks

Water is Water by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin

Where Are My Books? by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

9.27.2015

What happened to "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?"?

I'm three weeks behind in posting IMWAYR, and I have given up on the idea that I will go back and post for those weeks. If you'd like to see what I've been reading recently, please visit my Goodreads 2015 Challenge page. I'm definitely on track to meet my goal of reading 365 books this year; I only have about 20 more books to read!

The Book Riot 2015 Read Harder Challenge

For the last few years I've taken part in the Goodreads annual Reading Challenge. There have been some arguments for and against reading challenges, but I find it beneficial to participate. I've met (and exceeded) my goals, but I've also fallen short of my goal. In the end, though, having a challenge goal keeps me motivated, encourages me when I've fallen behind, and gives me an additional sense of satisfaction when I keep on reading. My goal for the coming year will be the same as this year's, to read a book a day (as you may have noticed, I read a lot of picture books and graphic novels, which makes this goal "easier").

Not increasing my goal this year, in some sense, defeats the purpose of a challenge. According to dictionary.com, a challenge is a "difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it." Reading as I always do is not a difficulty, nor is it stimulating. I recently saw a challenge on Book Riot that could help me with this: the 2015 Read Harder Challenge. My main reading interests are children's literature, fantasy, and graphic novels. I occasionally dabble in "grown up" nonfiction and mystery. It's easy to fall into a reading rut and I think it would be challenging to read outside of my comfort zone.

There are 24 tasks for this challenge, and as much as I would like to fulfill each task with a separate book, there may be some tasks that will be checked off with the same book (these are denoted with an asterisk *):

A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25

Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan by Christine Mari Inzer*

A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7) by Alan Bradley (January)*

A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people)

Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones (January)
Monstrous Affections: An Anthology of Beastly Tales edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant (March)
District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington, DC by various (May)

A book published by an indie press

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (August)* --> Drawn and Quarterly

A book by or about someone that identifies as LGBTQ

George by Alex Gino (June)
Wandering Son by Shimura Takako, translated by Matt Thorn (ongoing series)*

A book by a person whose gender is different from your own

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (June)

A book that takes place in Asia

Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back by Janice P. Nimura (August)
Wandering Son by Shimura Takako, translated by Matt Thorn (ongoing series)*

A book by an author from Africa

Anna Hibiscus' Song by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia (February)

A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture (Native Americans, Aboriginals, etc.)

The Blind Boy and the Loon by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
Rabbit's Snow Dance by James Bruchac and Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Jeff Newman (October)

A microhistory

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin (February)
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno (October)

A YA novel

Vango: Between Sky and Earth by Timothée de Fombelle (April)
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee (June)*
Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (July)
Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George (July)
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (October)
A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry (December)

A sci-fi novel

The Fog Diver by Joel N. Ross (August)

A romance novel

Wolf Bride by Elizabeth Moss (March)*

A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (2014 Man Booker Prize nominee) (April)

A book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairy tale, Shakespearean play, classic novel, etc.)

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman (the version illustrated by Chris Riddell) (September)
Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood (July)

An audiobook

A collection of poetry

Flutter and Hum / Aleteo y Zumbido: Animal Poems / Poemas de Animales by Julie Paschkis (October)

A book that someone else has recommended to you

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley (August)
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins (November)
House Arrest by K.A. Holt (November)

A book that was originally published in another language

Mikis and the Donkey by Bibi Dumon Tak (January)
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō, translated by Cathy Hirano (February)*
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, translated by Ted Goossen (February)
Vango: Between Sky and Earth by Timothée de Fombelle (April)
Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (August)*

A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind (I read quite a few ... not all of them are listed here)

Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan by Christine Mari Inzer*
Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince
Displacement: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley
Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler (May)*
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by Sydney Padua (July)
Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (August)*
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #5) by Nathan Hale (September)
Fall of the House of West by Paul Pope, J.T. Petty, David Rubin (December)
Wandering Son by Shimura Takako, translated by Matt Thorn (ongoing series)*
Princeless by Jeremy Whitley (ongoing series)
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke Allen, Maarta Laiho (ongoing series)
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (ongoing series)
The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt (ongoing series)

A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (Read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over)

Wolf Bride by Elizabeth Moss (March)*

A book published before 1850

A book published this year

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7) by Alan Bradley (January)*
American Ghost: A Family's Haunted Past in the Desert Southwest by Hannah Nordhaus (April)
Where You Go Is Not Who'll You Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni (May)*
Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler (May)*
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (May)
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee (June)*
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (August)

A self-improvement book (can be traditionally or non-traditionally considered “self-improvement”)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō, translated by Cathy Hirano (February)*
Where You Go Is Not Who'll You Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni (May)*

As you can see, I got off to a head start and finished a few of these tasks over the weekend. I'll endeavor to keep updating this post as I fulfill a task. Book Riot began a Goodreads page for the challenge, which links to the original post, lists the tasks and reading suggestions for the tasks, and allows for participants to share what they're reading. They encourage people to use the hashtag #ReadHarder on social media.

9.07.2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

[The original It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey]

Initially, I had no intention of reading Go Set a Watchman, mostly because I wasn't sure this was a book that Harper Lee wanted published. The circumstances surrounding the "discovery" of the manuscript was/is really questionable, and it's hard to imagine that Lee would want this released unedited. But I bought it for my son who has read To Kill a Mockingbird at least a couple of times; I thought it would be educational and insightful for him to do a compare-and-contrast reading. And, if it would be good for him, it's probably good for me to do the same. As if on cue, my book club chose to read it for our September meeting.

I didn't get a chance to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, but those who did said it was clearly the better book and agreed with reports in the media that Go Set a Watchman was a first draft that was reworked by Lee and her editor.

There was a lot online about how upset die-hard Atticus fans were with the older Atticus character in Go Set a Watchman. I was always a Scout fan, so I was much more upset with the older Scout character. Not that I had a clear vision of what I imagined Scout to be like in her 20s, but I was disappointed in how she was portrayed as an adult much more than I was disappointed in Atticus's portrayal as an aging racist and states rights supporter.

I feel like it requires a bit of brain power to remind myself that although chronologically, Go Set a Watchman takes place after To Kill a Mockingbird, it was written first. So the character development and progression we imagine there to be as Scout and Atticus age is, in fact, not correct. Does that make sense? It's wrong to consider this book as a sequel and I almost look at it as if Scout and Atticus are in a parallel universe. Not all of the details match up, and while it's believable that these are the same people across time, there are clearly those who don't believe that the Atticus of To Kill a Mockingbird would have aged into the Atticus of Go Set a Watchman.

Anyway, it's a quick read so it's worth reading if you're a To Kill a Mockingbird fan and want to see how a manuscript can change over time with editing. It seems to me that if Harper Lee says she never comments about To Kill a Mockingbird because she said everything she needed to say in the book, then it was probably without her full approval that Go Set a Watchman was published. There's too much here that needs to be clarified and reworked. This is not a fully-hashed out story and would never have been an American classic if it was published as-is in the 1950s.

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK: