I finished the local library’s summer reading challenge. Quicker than I expected, but that’s nice because there was a much better selection on the prize book cart! (I got a copy of The Overstory by Richard Powers). Three of the items on the challenge list I skipped, just counting thirty minutes’ reading time (allowed). For the other choices, here’s what I read:
Re-read a book you read during childhood- Tomorrow’s Sphinx by Clare Bell
Read a book set in a place you want to visit- Dirty Chick by Antonia Murphy
Read a book that takes place in your home state or country- A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins
Read a graphic novel- The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lilah Sturges (adapted from Lev Grossman)
Read a book recommended by a librarian- The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
Read a book outside of your comfort zone- Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Read a book outside of your own timeline- Too Late the Phalarope by Alan Paton
I always feel like I’m kind of fudging the read a book recommended by a librarian item. I’ve never yet actually gone up to a desk and asked one of the librarians for a direct recommendation. Instead I pick a book off one of the displays they’ve made on a theme- I figure if a librarian singled out those books to bring to the public’s attention, they must count as recommendations!
So this was fun. Once again it stretched me a bit, to read a few books I wouldn’t have otherwise- the teen romance and the WWII historical fiction. Most of the others were already on my TBR so I was happy to mark them off my personal list, too. And very pleased with my book prize!
6 Responses
Congratulations on winning! Such a fun idea to have the rewards be another book!
They also give away tickets to a local baseball team, but I always pass on that.
Well done! I don’t think my library has a shelf of book prizes, which is probably good — I’m trying to take a little library break this summer and read as many of my own books as I can while I’ve got momentum. We’ll see how that goes!
Good luck! I have attempted that many times in the past, but always end up getting too tempted by library titles and can’t stick to my own stacks long enough to clear space out . . . and now there’s piles on the floor too, yikes.
Nicely done, Jeane…and some really great choices. I’m always tempted by those librarian “picks,” too. Just grabbed two more of them this morning, and I have no idea how or when I’m going to work them in to my TBR stack.
I’m sure you’ll find time to read them, if they’re worth it!