Hello Readers!
It’s time to make the July recommendations for the 2016 Reading Challenge!
What is the reading challenge?
It’s a fun and simple way to read books this new year. Here are the basics of the challenge:
-You will read one book a month from a specific category (details below)
-You don’t have to read them in the order listed
-At the beginning of each month I will give you many ideas for fantastic books within that category that you just might enjoy
-Throughout the month I will post updates on my Facebook page (if you haven’t started following yet, this would be a great time!), sharing the books I’m reading within that category. You can chime in with what you are reading and get recommendations from other readers.
-At the end of the year we will celebrate our success and share our favorites from 2016 (plus have a pretty awesome giveaway…)!
So, are you in? If you’re not convinced yet, here are the categories:
2016 Reading Challenge
January: A Book that Inspires You
March: A Book Set in Another Time Period
June: A Nonfiction Book on a Topic That Interests You
July: A Book By An Author You Really Enjoy
August: Something You Should Have Read in School But Didn’t
September: A Newbery Award Winner (The Best Work of Children’s Literature for that year. HERE.)
October: Something Scary
November: A Fantasy
December: A Book Set in Another Country
You can jump in any time. Just because you’ve missed the previous months’ challenge doesn’t mean you can’t join us now!
July’s Reading Challenge: A Book By An Author You Enjoy
This month I am giving you permission to read something you really like! Think of an author whom you have enjoyed reading in the past, and find another book by that author. It’s that simple!
So, if you are really into a series right now, go for it! Read the next one. Or, if you remember a book that impacted you in the past, find out if that author has another book. Have fun!
Now, I, obviously, don’t know which author you enjoy. So, this month I’m going to give just a few recommendations based on some authors that many have liked.
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
Emily of New Moon is the first of a less well-known series by the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series. Emily is an orphan girl who is raised by her two maiden aunts and bachelor cousin. Over the course of the series, she develops a passion for and talent for writing. Her sensitive nature sees the beauty around her and turns it into poetry, short stories, and eventually a novel.
I wanted to be Emily when I was growing up. I used her poetry as a model for my own, dreamed of having a book published as she did, and longed to find the joy in simple things that she exhibited. Emily carried around a notebook of poems, so I did, too. She wrote character sketches, and I tried my hand at them. I had a fledgling desire to write before reading the series at age 10, but afterward I could never see myself as anything but a writer.
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
Most women have read (or at least seen the movie of!) the book Little Women. Little Men continues the story by following Jo and Professor Bhaer as they turn Plumfield into a school for boys. I love the little adventures and scrapes that the boys get into, the way that they learn to accept each other, and the fact that I can continue in the lovely world created by Alcott for a little longer.
Emma by Jane Austen
When asked who the most swoon-worthy hero of romantic literature is, many women would respond immediately, “Mr. Darcy.” And, though Jane Austen’s strong, silent hero from Pride and Prejudice is certainly worthy of the honor, her hero Mr. Knightley from Emma is perhaps even more upstanding and honorable. And, Emma herself is such a lovable mixture of woman and child, that the entire book is delightful. If you haven’t read this Jane Austen before, now would be a great time.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Finally, while this technically doesn’t count as the same author, if you have read either Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, you may be a fan of the Bronte sisters. But, have you read their lesser known sister Anne’s work? Considered by some to be the first real feminist novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall tells the story of a young woman who rents a house–much to the speculation of the community. A young farmer who befriends her discovers her secret that rocks Victorian sensibilities and law.
What’s On My Nightstand
Here are two books that I am planning to read as a part of this month’s challenge.
The Whispering Trees (Second in The Thickety Series by J.A. White
I recently read and enjoyed The Thickety: The Path Begins as part of my Summer Reading List. This is the second in that series. Since I enjoy young adult fantasy, it is a perfect summer read for me!
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle came highly recommended by Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy as a book you can read in a day and think about for weeks afterward. It looks deliciously creepy as well. I have only read Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” and am excited to sample more of her work.
What will you read this month?
(Linked to Quick Lit.)
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