Challenge completed!
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At the beginning of the year, I was excited to learn about a Reading Challenge posted by Modern Mrs. Darcy and decided it was right up my alley. There have been a couple of times where I wished I hadn’t, but determined to see it through, I persevered and am pleased to announce that I’m done!
I’ve been posting my progress throughout the year, but here’s a recap (with links to the posts where I talked about each book)
- A book you’ve been meaning to read: The Happiness Project
- A book published this year: Ms. Rapscott’s Girls
- A book in a genre you don’t typically read: Broken: A Paranormal Romance
- A book from your childhood: The Head Girl’s Sister
- A book your mom loves: A Horseman Riding By – Volume 1: Long Summer Day
- A book that was originally written in a different language: The Infinite Plan
- A book “everyone” has read but you: All the Light We Cannot See
- A book you chose because of the cover: Amy and Isabelle
- A book by a favorite author: Confessions of a Hater
- A book recommended by someone with great taste: We Need To Talk About Kevin
- A book you should have read in
high schooluniversity: The Red and the Black - A book that’s currently on the bestseller list: At the Water’s Edge
The only two I haven’t blogged about previously are Amy and Isabelle and At the Water’s Edge, which I’ve read most recently.
I didn’t choose to read Amy and Isabelle specifically for the challenge. I was at the bank when it caught my eye on a used book table. I’d never heard of it or the author, Elizabeth Strout, but it looked like the type of book I would enjoy. I did.
That left me with the task of finding a current bestseller to read before the end of the year. I opened the library app on my phone, tapped on Globe and Mail Bestsellers, looking specifically for something that was currently on the shelf. There weren’t many options but At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen was one of them, and since I loved Water for Elephants, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. It was one of the best books I’ve read all year – what a great way to finish the 2015 Reading Challenge!
Makes me think I just might do another one next year… it was a great way to discover books I might not have otherwise (The Infinite Plan, At the Water’s Edge, All the Light We Cannot See) as well as some that I’d just never got around to (The Happiness Project, A Horseman Riding By, We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Red and the Black).
On Goodreads, I’ve read 39 books towards my goal of 40, and have no doubt I’ll finish The Rosie Project before New Year’s.
In the meantime, I’m enjoying a different type of challenge on Viewbug, where members challenge one another to photograph certain themes. For my first entry, I entered my “Silver and Gold” photo, shown above, in a challenge called “Frozen.”
Janet Barclay
I eliminate stress for my clients by hosting, monitoring, and maintaining their WordPress sites so they don’t have to worry about security, downtime or performance issues. When I’m away from my desk, I enjoy reading, photography, cooking, watching movies, drinking tea, and spending time with my family.
I like this idea! Congrats on completing your goal Janet. 🙂
I go to the library almost weekly and have been changing up my reading habits just by wandering around and picking up something that catches my eye. Our library sets up some great displays in different spots, so I tend to stop and check them out. I’ve always read a pretty good variety of fiction, but have been expanding my non-fiction choices. I have also been been trying to pick out cookbooks for types of cuisine I am not very familiar with.
Have fun with your photography challenges and looking forward to hearing about your future reading goals!
I don’t make use of my library nearly enough! We go every week for movies, but only occasionally for books. Even when I do, it’s usually a specific title I need for my book club, rather than a random choice off the shelf. THAT should be one of my goals for next year!
Congratulations Janet — on completing your reading goal and on setting yourself a new one in another field before the year was over.
I picked up Amy & Isabelle at Frenchys this summer because I’d read Olive Kitteridge by the same author and loved it. You might want to add that one to your list for 2016.
Maybe I’ll get to At the Water’s Edge next year, on the basis of your recommendation and my enjoyment of Water for Elephants. (I did read another Sara Gruen I wasn’t as crazy about though.)
The Rosie Project is pretty light, so you’ll no doubt make your goal and perhaps beyond.
I look forward to see what shows up on your ‘read’ bookshelves next year. And mine too. 🙂
What a coincidence that we both picked up the same book around the same time! I will have to look for Olive Kitteridge at the library.
[…] enjoyed Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2015 Reading Challenge so much that I’ve been eagerly watching her blog to see what her topics will be for next […]
[…] enjoyed Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2015 Reading Challenge, so after finally completing the Canadian Reading Challenge last year, I decided to give it another […]