Reading Challenge reflections

Though you are reading this Monday afternoon, I am writing it Sunday night and am still incredibly sleep deprived. Bear that in mind if this isn't particularly well written.

Now that I've had a little time to contemplate my reading challenge experience this year, I have to say I'm pretty pleased with my overall results. I removed caffeine from my diet for a week before the challenge so the 4 cups I drank during those 48 hours were far more effective. It also meant that when I had to work a 6 hour shift on Saturday (like I did last year) I was far more aware of what was happening around me instead of spending the shift in something of a fog. 

Most importantly, I learned a lot last year about my to read pile. Last year I alternated longer books and shorter books so I'd feel like I was making more progress. It worked really well for the first 24 hours but that second day, with so little sleep, I struggled to process the longer books. 

So, this year I built my stack with all of the long books to be read on the first day. For the most part, it was an effective strategy. I still struggled with the last few, but that was likely to happen no matter what book I was reading. I had a few longer books at the bottom of my stack because I honestly didn't expect to get that far. So, when I made it to Razorhurst at 3:00am Sunday, I made it maybe 2 chapters before I had to give it up and select something else. 

In all, I think if I participate in this challenge again next year my approach will be pretty much the same. Its not easy but it's very satisfying when you hit one of your goals.

Finish Line

This is it! The end of my 48 hours. I've surpassed my both of my goals, having read more titles and more hours than last year. This year I read and reviewed 16 books, leaving just 2 of my pile (plus my 5 back-up books) unread. I also got through 4 1/2 discs of the audio book of The Diviners (which really is horrendously long at 15 discs/18 hours). By my best accounting, I spent 38 hours and 45 minutes reading and reviewing.


I realize this is the same photo I used for my starting line post but, disregarding the audio book at the top, this is my completed list (with the addition of 3 e-books: The Disappearance of Emily H., The Doubt Factory, and Out of the Dragon's Mouth.)

I'll likely do a more in depth look at my experience later today or perhaps Monday, once I've had a chance to sleep.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13 B

As my final selection for this year's challenge, I have to admit my understanding of this particular novel is probably barely adequate. It's and interesting cast of characters and I'm particularly fond of Wendall/Sweetie as he's such a quirky little kid. He reminds me of the little sister in Tim Wynne-Jones's A Thief in the House of Memory. Now, even in my severely sleep deprived state I couldn't help but note the similarities between the group therapy scenes and the support group in The Fault in Our Stars (though clearly this is a far more productive group than the one John Green describes). And I liked that it wasn't all neat and tidy happy endings. Life is messy and change is necessary. Some things aren't meant to last.

The Dumbest Idea Ever!

I'm quite fond of Gownley's quirky Amelia Rules! series, so when this book arrived at my library just days before this challenge, I knew it needed to make it's way into my "to read" pile. At heart, it's actually a fairly simple story, this idea of some serious event changing the way you view your entire life. More importantly, it answers that perennial question posited to writers: where do you get your ideas? It is, perhaps, a niche graphic novel but worth reading if you enjoy memoirs.

Roller Girl

The first time I saw this book I thought "How strange. Why would anyone want to read a book about roller derby?" But then (maybe because I wanted to prove it's weirdness) I found myself leafing through the pages. And it wasn't long before I knew I needed to read this book. It's a sports story. It's a story of making and losing friends. It's a story of redefining yourself and admitting your faults. Not too shabby for some weird book about roller derby. And it really shines as a graphic novel. Each page has great visual appeal with a slightly muted color palette to prevent it from becoming to garish and an excellent use of light. It's like to dance but for tough girls.

Mr. Terupt Falls Again

When I first read Because of Mr. Terupt a few years ago I was not overly impressed. There were too many narrating characters with not enough to properly distinguish their voices. Honestly, I found it mediocre at best. I hadn't intended to give it another thought. Then I began to notice how it was favored among some of our young patrons and I wondered if I'd judged it too harshly. I figured it was worth reading the sequel to see if I liked this one any better. While some of the narration feels somewhat stiff and unnatural for a sixth grader, this volume seems like a noticeable improvement on the previous one. I still find Alexia in particular annoying and more like an idea of a preteen than a real kid. Her use of awkward slang, in particular, bothered me. Buyea is perhaps a little heavy handed with the lessons he intends for his readers but I'm beginning to see why kids enjoy these books.

Rhyme Schemer

A good verse novel is a thing of beauty. To be able to tell a distinct, artful story while making each word count for maximum impact is not a skill that many possess. Over the years I've read a good number of verse novels, most of them mediocre at best. Seldom does one read a verse novel and thing "poetry really was the best format for this story." Much like my very favorite verse novel (Love That Dog by Sharon Creech) poetry really is the only format for this book, and not just because it's about poetry. The very sparse poetry Holt uses in this novel really captures Kevin's anger. He's constantly on edge and that is well reflected with journal entries that at times have just two words on a line. He's stretched thin, barely contained. And I love that the found poetry pages are pages from existing books, not something specially prepared to make his poems more polished.

Out of the Dragon's Mouth

When we learn about things like the Vietnam War in history classes, we tend to get very few details: the basis of the conflict, it's scope in years and international involvement, and the resolution. We learn that as American troops withdrew from South Vietnam, desperate people attempted to leave with them, sometimes pressing their small children onto trucks and into helicopters in hopes of a better life. This is essentially all we learn. Novels like this one open our eyes to the realities of life in a postwar region. Continued political turmoil left Vietnam a very dangerous place to be and thousands fled, preferring the dangers of over-packed, rickety ships to the threat of their own government. Even if one could reach a refuge camp, conditions there were not much better especially as some residents of the camps were little more than children with no parental supervision. This is a fascinating look at how circumstance can take a young person used to privilege and put her into a situation where her only thoughts are to survival. The writing is somewhat stilted at times but it's a solidly educational read.

Hold Me Closer

When this book first came out, I had no intention of reading it. Not only was Will Grayson, will grayson not my favorite John Green novel, Tiny Cooper wasn't my favorite character within that novel. I found him overly exuberant to the point of irritation at times. But when I was building a reading list for this challenge,  this seemed like a good bridging novel, a slight mental break for evening #2. For the most part, that's exactly what this book was. It doesn't exactly break new ground in storytelling. While the level of detail may be more than what we got in the original novel it doesn't really take any new turns. What it does do, which the original did not, is give Tiny a little more depth of character. We see a little more of his vulnerability and fear, his longing and doubts. It doesn't work as a stand-alone at all but fans of Will Grayson, will grayson will get a kick out of it.

Whale Rider

This is a deceptive little book. It's brief length makes it seem as if it will be a very quick read. In fact, it's possible to read it in very little time. To my way of thinking, that isn't exactly advisable. While the central plot is very straightforward, that of a girl proving her worth to a great-grandfather who values only males, it is much more than that. It's a story of cultural traditions, traditions that are being lost in the name of "progress." The very narration is steeped in those traditions. It isn't a narrative style common to American novels so it was a fascinating change of pace from my previous selections. I look forward to making time in my schedule to watch the film version so I can see how the film makers represent both the culture and the tone of the novel on screen.

My Near-Death Adventures

Take Gary Paulsen's The Cook Camp. Add a dash of John D. Fitzgerald's The Great Brain and Robert Newton Peck's Soup with maybe just a hint of Sid Fleischman's McBroom. All these things combined make up something like My Near-Death Adventures. It's funny to be sure and I'm quite fond of Stan's tendency to unknowingly verbalize his thoughts. The real selling point for this book, in my opinion, is the images. Advertisements, postcards, humorous photos, all vintage. Usually those things alone are enough to entertain me. These images have the added appeal of having been altered as part of Stan's scrapbook to illustrate some part of his exaggerated story.

Half a World Away

Most of us have this idea of adoption as a sort of perfect completion. A couple chooses a child to become a part of their family and love makes them complete. The child, grateful to be chosen, is just like a natural born child. This novel blows that notion out of the water. The simple fact is no adoption is easy. Especially international adoption. The process of bonding with an adopted child is difficult and may never fully succeed (an experience confirmed by a few of my childhood friends who were adopted themselves). Half a World Away puts us into the life of Jaden, a Romanian boy adopted at age 8 with a serious attachment disorder. He hordes food, destroys possessions, and secretly believes his adopted parents (whom he mentally calls by their first names) dislike him and would prefer to be rid of him. When his parents decide to adopt another child, this brings to the forefront many of Jaden's issues and forces him to consider his own value and the notion of love. Kadohata takes us deep into Jaden's emotional world, allowing us to live his life along with him and make connections with him. We struggle to understand his parents and the world around him just as Jaden does. This is an emotionally complex story but one that will have us viewing our own families in a new light.

The Disappearance of Emily H

Here's a book that wasn't really at all what I expected. While I appreciate the need for books that look at bullying and which acknowledge that telling an adult isn't always a practical solution for kids, I'm not sure I'm okay with the solutions Raine came up with either. Plotting against and threatening to socially ruin a bully don't seem like methods one would want to advocate. Additionally, Raine takes some pretty significant safety risks and never once considers asking for help. The final chapters do acknowledge the dangers of those decisions but I'm not sure that's enough to make up for my concerns. I'd also have liked to have seen more of the turmoil between Raine and her mother. That wasn't addressed enough for my tastes.

The Frog Who Croaked

What a fun book! While the mystery is not overly complex, it is solidly constructed much like your standard cop show. While Zengo and O'Malley are in stereotypical roles (the overly eager and impulsive rookie and the slightly jaded old-timer) the novelty of the world Krosoczka has built keeps the characters from feeling stale. And of course there is the vaguely menacing specter of Pandini looming over the plot. He reminded me of Daredevil's Kingpin. His reputation is built on good intentions but something darker drives him. All in all, this is a solid introduction to a middle grade series.

Read Between the Lines

The thing about most novels is you only get one or two perspectives on the story. While our hero is facing adversity and meeting with a variety of other characters, some only for a moment, life goes on around him. But what does that mean for the people he meets? It's refreshing to read books like this one which acknowledge that every individual has a story. These stories all intertwine to create a larger plot. In this case of this novel, each small story in some way involves the middle finger gesture. More than that, though, they are connected by the idea of self-discovery. Every character in this book makes some discovery about himself/herself. These discoveries may be affirming or depressing. Either way, the character ends this one day enlightened in some small way. It's a pretty interesting slice of life.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

In historical fiction, it's important to capture both the events and the sense of the corresponding era. This is a task that this novel more than accomplishes. The Tate family jumps out from the page, as real as your own neighbor. Their adventures and foibles are entertaining and humorous, much like the tales in Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. At the same time there is an underlying current of worry and dissatisfaction throughout the novel. Calpurnia simply does not fit into societal expectations. A chance encounter with  her grandfather opens up the world for her in a way that virtually guarantees that she won't be satisfied with the life of domesticity that her mother has planned for her. It is both surprising and satisfying that her discontent remains at the conclusion of the novel, a likely result given that there were precious few opportunities for girls at the turn of the century. This book is an absolute delight.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a little more on the high fantasy side of things than I usually prefer. A great deal of the plot deals with bargains and the inter-workings and machinations of the high fae. I found those elements to be rather wearing. At heart, though, this is an excellent retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I'd go so far as to say I prefer it to Disney's version. For one thing, Feyre is a far more powerful character than Disney's Belle. Feyre has given up everything to protect her family. She's a hardened hunter, undereducated, though we see touches of a softer side early on with her fondness for painting. She's stubborn, outspoken, and opinionated, attributes that serve a heroine well in high fantasy. Prythian is a delightfully described world, making this book worth reading for descriptions alone. It's a weighty read but worth wading through if you have the patience.

The Doubt Factory

Book #1 complete!

The Doubt Factory is a complex, political novel. It's the story of a privileged teenage girl who has her whole world shaken by what she thinks is a prankster called 2.0. It isn't long before she discovers that 2.0 is much more. This group of activists has uncovered a industry of misinformation and doubt that has allowed dangerous, life-threatening products to remain on the market, unlabeled, for years. Companies are getting rich at the cost of human lives. And 2.0 isn't going to stand for it any longer. They just need Alix's help to get proof and get the message out.

I love books like this one about being awakened to the dark side of our modern life. Teens are already questioning many things about their personal lives. It's important to encourage them to question the larger world as well. The Doubt Factory takes a very close look at public relations and the media, encouraging the reader to look beyond the story that is being spun to the facts underneath. The writing is tight and tense. The characters have complexity and voice. This is a great book for the thinking reader.

And...Go!

I'm super excited to get started on the 48 Hour Book Challenge! It's now 8 am and this is my official Starting Line post. Join me periodically over the next 48 hours to see what I've read so far.

Here's my to-read pile

Not pictured: The Doubt Factory, The Disappearance of Emily H, Out of the Dragon's Mouth, Razorhurst, and How to Fly With Broken Wings

A little business

Last year I participated in the 48 Hour Book Challenge hosted by MotherReader. This is a challenge in which participants read as much as they can over a 48 hour period. It's tough but a lot of fun. I just signed up to be a part of it again this year. When I did it last year, I used it as a personal challenge. I just wanted to see how many books I could read. This year I'd like my reading to accomplish something. I'll be making a donation to RIF (Reading is Fundamental), an organization that provides books to underprivileged kids, based on how many hours I read.  This year's challenge runs from June 19th through the 21st. I'll be posting updates as I go.

About the 48 Hour Book Challenge

About RIF

A quick overview of my results from last year