Not signed up for YALSA’s 2015 Hub Reading Challenge? Read the official rules and sign up on the original post. Anything you’ve read since February 9 counts, so sign up now!
Hey Readers!
How is the challenge going? I am not participating (again) this year because I am on an awards committee and currently reading for that. I did just finish listening to Gabi, a Girl in Pieces to refresh my memory since I read it last year for Quick Picks (it was in the top ten!) since my library teens are reading it for their book club. How I love that book! The audio is great and you should give it a listen if you have a chance.
How many of you have finished? How many books are now your favorite? Any books surprise you? I love this challenge because it forces us to read outside of our comfort zones. I hope to get back into the challenge again!
Check in with how you’re doing, and find out what other Challenge readers are enjoying by commenting on the weekly check-in posts or participating on social media. You can use the hashtag #hubchallenge to post updates on Twitter or check out the 2015 Goodreads Hub Reading Challenge group.
As you all know, you have until 11:59 PM EST on June 21st to finish at least 25 challenge books (here’s the full list of eligible titles). If you haven’t already, don’t forget to post the Participant’s Badge on your blog, website, or email signature, and, as always, if you have any questions or problems, let us know in the comments or via email.
If you have already completed the challenge by reading or listening to 25 titles from the list of eligible books, be sure to fill out the form below so we can send you your Challenge Finisher badge, get in touch to coordinate your reader’s response and, perhaps best of all, to notify you if you win our exciting grand prize drawing! Be sure to use an email you check frequently and do not fill out this form until you have completed the challenge by reading 25 titles.
I finished Vango (#21) and This One Summer (#22) this week. Only 3 left to go!
Hi Faythe! It’s Adrienne, who has slowed down because of the same awards committee. I have actually reached 25 (thanks goodness for the Morris/Nonfiction Challenge)and there are a few audiobooks I want to listen to, so that is all I am working on anymore. I just started The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. As the end of the year stuff ramps up at school and committee work gets busier I think I might make this the last one, unless I can get my hands on a few more on the Amazing Audiobooks list.
I can’t remember when I last checked in, but at this point I’ve read the following (starting with most recently read):
Bingo’s Run
Revolution (audio is the BEST way to go with this title, IMHO)
Tomboy
Through the Woods
William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily A New Hope (again, awesome audio version)
Laughing at My Nightmare
A Snicker of Magic (not my favorite, but I was a little distracted throughout)
Wolf in White Van
Five, Six, Seven, Nate!
Lock In (one of my favorite so far, that I would probably not have read without the challenge)
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces
And We Stay
Popular
Bellweather Rhapsody (another favorite from the Alex list)
I’m looking forward to reading The Young Elites & The Carnival of Bray the most I think out of what I have left available to me. I’ve got a couple of nonfiction titles in my TBR pile, which another thing I like about this challenge, as I pretty much have to force myself to read nonfiction. Thanks for helping me expand my horizons!
I’m at 30 now, with maybe six more from the challenge readily available to me.
#27 Ms. Marvel: No Normal – did not care for it very much, like most GNs.
#28 The Family Romanov – really slow start, really quick wrap-up, but the middle was interesting.
#29 The Scar Boys – my favorite for the week. Loved the writing style and the technique, good story as well.
#30 The Battle of Jericho – I must say these teens seemed pretty innocent to me. I did not dislike it, but I doubt much of it will stay with me for long.
I finished two since the last time I checked in. In Real Life is a great graphic novel introducing readers into the gaming world. I like Anda a lot!
I also finished the Revolution audio book (also listened to Countdown, the first book in the trilogy). I enjoyed the story well enough. They put a lot of effort into making it a diverse and original production.
So that puts me at 11. I’m getting a bit weary that I may not finish but as long as I can get a few smaller fiction books in between the remaining audio and graphic, I should be okay. I still look forward to so many on the list!
This week I finished This One Summer–an impressive graphic novel. I enjoyed how effectively the pictures portrayed sounds, movement and feelings. I can see why it won the Caldecott honor. This brings my total number of books read to 20.
I’m in the process of reading several other books at the same time; I’m about 2/3 of the way through The Martian, and I’m reading All the Light We Cannot See (one book carried in my purse, one by my bed.) I’m also listening to Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders. I have a feeling I’d make faster progress if I concentrated on just one of them, but life has been busy, and I read whatever I can, when I have the chance.
#62 Hole in my Life – 4/5 – Very good, liked this book.
#63 Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – 2/5 – If written “normally” I would have enjoyed more, The animal depictions of various groups was annoying and racist.
#64 Love Letters to the Dead- 2.5/5 – narrator was not engaging and the story was annoying. Enough with all the letters. How did she know how these people grew up and what they thought? Anyone who idolizes the likes of Kurt Cobain, has a problem.
Listening to Revolution at the moment. Long with many narrators.
Twenty down and five more to go. I am currently reading Lock In, Lockdown, and Tomboy. Sometimes hard to keep the titles straight but I am really enjoying my title choices so far. I agree that challenges like this help us to read outside of our “comfort zone”. I am especially trying to educate myself with graphic novels and have read many that are not on the list as well to understand the difference between award winners and others.
I finished Bellweather Rhapsody this week and really enjoyed it.
Just about finished The Terrorist’s Son, which I’m finding fascinating. And I have Confessions waiting in the wings (apparently I’m all about the Alex Awards this year).
Since last week’s check in, I finished In Real Life (#19) and am currently reading The Young Elites and Famous Last Words.
I finished Lock In and it was one of my favorites, along with The Martian. Currently reading The Carnival at Bray and also very much liking this one. Total of 14.
One more for me this week:
#6 – And We Stay – Overall, I really liked Emily’s voice, but there were some sections of the book that were a little slow for me. I appreciated the supporting characters in this novel – KT and the French teacher really rounded out Emily as a character.
Almost done with The Carnival at Bray and I have a pile of graphic novels sitting on my bedside table as well.
I have slowed considerably in the challenge as I have been reading some of the amazing new books that have come out this year. But I have started on We Were Liars and should have that complete this week.
Looks like I am not going to finish this year based on my current rate. Still working on #6 The Carnival at Bray. Maybe I will have to do a string of graphic novels to up my total. Gotta love fast reads.
Finished And We Stay and enjoyed it. I am still listening to Revolution and have ordered on Audible ACID and Curtsies and Conspiracies. Almost there!
Two more since my last check in (which was 7… I think…). I’ve read Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper and listened to ACID by Emma Pass. Copper Sun was amazing, heartbreaking but hopeful, and so important. ACID was very well done as an audiobook, a little less so as a story, but I enjoyed it.
I’m now at 13/23 (if the Morris/Nonfiction books are included). I’ve just started Five, Six, Seven, Nate! on audio and enjoying it so far. :)
This week I read MARTIAN and VANGO. Loved MARTIAN — such a smart, moving story, great science, great characters. Had a really, really hard time getting into VANGO. That’s okay. Not every book is going to work for every person.
Like many others, I’m reading other books at the same time, but am sure to reach my goal by June. I just started listening to “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Collection” and am loving it!
I appear to be slowing down. Last week I finished Trillium bringing my total to 34 books read . I’ve been listening to Revolution and I started reading Those Who Wish Me Dead. I’ve really enjoyed the Alex Books this year, especially The Martian. I like reading the Alex books because I don’t read as much adult fiction as I’d like since most of what I read it juvenile and young adult materials. I’m looking forward to reading Everything I Never Told You and All the Light We Cannot See especially since they were on my to-read list even before the Challenge began.
I’ve finished 13 and am working on 4 that I will be done with hopefully tonight. My favorite book so far, that I hadn’t read before, is Trillium. It was a trippy book that I had to read twice to understand fully but it was worth it. I was surprised at how much a liked Shadow Hero and how let down I was by In Real Life (although I think this book would pair very well with Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, for a book club, which is long but so worth the time).