At the beginning of the summer, I decided to challenge myself with my summer reading. You can read my first post about here. I wrote an update a few weeks later to see where I was with my reading goals, which you can read here. Today, I'm wrapping up my challenge, which I officially ended yesterday.
To refresh my memory (and yours!), here's what I said I was going to read this summer:
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Ensnared by A.G. Howard
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord
My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
The Mistborn series (only the first four books) by Brandon Sanderson
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson
Analyzing Mad Men: Critical Essays on the Television Series edited by Scott F. Stoddart
So, how did I do? In terms of following my list, I did okay. I read El Deafo, Ensnared, Better Than Before, and Lumberjanes. I tried the Mistborn books, but I couldn't get into the series, so I have officially crossed those off my list of things to read. Last, since I'm not done watching Mad Men, I decided not read Analyzing Mad Men.
I read far more than that this summer, but most of what I read wasn't on my list of books to challenge myself. Here's what I read in addition to the few books I got through on the official list.
Sparks:The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie by S.J. Adams
Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgendered Teen by Arin Andrews
Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong edited by Jessica Bacal
How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life by Joanna Barsh
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman
City Love by Susane Colasanti
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Devil You Know by Trish Doller
Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition by Katie Rain Hill
Violent Ends edited by Shaun David Hutchinson
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher
Revival by Stephen King
Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
Splitting an Order by Ted Kooser
Craftfail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong by Heather Mann
Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense by Corinne Mucha
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider
A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer Smith
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
I read several other books, but can't name them because I read them for an award committee I'm on. Needless to say, I did a lot of reading, and I enjoyed most of what I read. Do I wish I had done a better job sticking with my challenge and reading the books I said I would read? Yes and no. I do wish I had gotten around to some of them, but I'm glad I didn't force myself to read all of them, because then I wouldn't have enjoyed my summer reading nearly as much as I did.
What books did you read this summer? Is there anything you think I should add to my list of books to read? Tell me in the comments!
1 comment:
This summer I reread the Uglies quartet, and still loved it. I also read Eon and The Handmaid's Tale for the first time and enjoyed them immensely. Funny thing I read The Handmaid's Tale just after reading Grey by E.L. James and talk about whiplash.
I read the first Mistborn book when it first came out many years ago and found that even though I was really excited about it, I was heavily let down. I just couldn't get into it, and have since ignored the sequels. Although, I don't really like the Redwall series either and they were similar in quality, so perhaps I should have expected that.
Sounds like even though you didn't read everything on your list, you still got a good range of topic and genre.
The Splintered series is also really a great take on Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I also suggest The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, if you haven't read them already.
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