Not signed up for YALSA’s 2016 Hub Reading Challenge? Read the official rules and sign up on the original post. Anything you’ve read since the awards were announced counts, and the challenge runs until 11:59pm on June 23, so sign up now!
I’ve been on a graphic novel and nonfiction streak.
I finally read Nimona, and thought it was a lot of fun. I’m not generally a fan of manga, but A Silent Voice was a great look at bullying and people with disabilities, and seemed to be a very sensitive portrayal of the characters. The teens in my library tend to be drawn to the fantasy and action-filled manga, so I was glad to familiarize myself with this title so I could potentially recommend something a little different to them. I was a big fan of My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, so I was excited to check out Trashed. I was surprised by how much research went in to it!
I really liked Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and thought it was a great introduction to several topics legal history, and the graphics were really well done. It was great paired with Rad American Women A-Z, which introduced me to a lot of women in history that I wasn’t familiar with.
The only fiction I’ve crossed off my list is one audiobook. I listened to Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and it was enchanting! The narration and sound effects definitely added to the experience, and I think this is the perfect title to recommend to families looking for a road trip audiobook.
I’ve finished 11 titles for the challenge, so I’ve still got a way to go. I plan on reading some of the Alex Award winners, as past titles honored have really been great for me personally and great for readers’ advisory. I’m also excited to read Half Wild by Sally Green and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
What have you been reading for the Challenge lately? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and join the conversation on social media; look for the #hubchallenge on Instagram, Twitter, and our Goodreads group. If you’ve finished the Challenge, a) bravo! and b) fill out this form.What have you been reading for the challenge? What are you most excited to get to? Share in the comments!
— Molly Wetta, currently re-listening to Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
The challenge is going slowly for me this year, but I’ll be finishing Nimona this week and have just started on Bone Gap. Still excited about many other titles ahead. Happy reading/listening this week, everyone.
Listened to two books this week:
— Illuminae: the book I was most looking forward to. From my Goodreads review: Such high hopes for this book after reading mostly great reviews. Did enjoy the audio version simply because the music and different character voices caught my attention; however the story really slogged along, particularly in the beginning. This futuristic space adventure with some romance, some bad guys, and artificial intelligence did not go over well. This could very likely have been a DNF but the thought of missing something spectacular made me hang in there.
–Dumplin’: Loved, loved, loved this book. Dolly Parton, Texas drawls, peach tea with teen romance are all part of a wonderful book about body image and finding your true self.
Almost there!
#85 Echo (book)
#86 Echo (Audio) 5 – Listened to it as I read it. The book alone would not have rated a 5. However, hearing the music really was a plus.
#87 Girl at War – 5 – Really enjoyed this, not expecting to
#88 Half Wild – 2.5 – (audio) Not as good as Book 1
Also read 3 others not on this list.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/48956545-julie-trapp?shelf=hub-challenge
I am at 19 with finishing Sacred Heart (a mature teen graphic; good, slightly weird story) and Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy (filled with lots of fandom facts and how-to information). Wow, I only have 6 titles to go! There are still so many I want to read!
Finally back at it. Reread Cinder and once again really liked it. I also read Dumplin which I also enjoyed. Loved Willowdeen. It was refreshing to read a book where the main character wasn’t obsessing about her weight, I’ve read 23 books so far for the challenge, many that I wouldn’t have otherwise picked up, and I’ve enjoyed most of them.
Rad Women – A-Z
25 women through the alphabet, x is reserved for the rad women of the future. One page is dedicated to a different women that were radical, innovator thinkers that did not allow society define or hold them back. Interesting read, leaves you wanting more.
Half way through Darkest Minds…
Only one this week with The Realm of Possibilty by David Levithan, which I enjoyed. My total is 19, and likely to stay that way as I have a book club book to read this week.
I finished 3 this week: All Involved (#22), Nimona (#23) and Devoted (#24).
All Involved is a really good book about the 6 days of rioting in LA that followed the Rodney King verdict in 1992. The book is split up into 6 days and each day’s events are told by different people. It was really interesting getting the many perspectives: gang members, fire fighters, nurses, etc. Due to the violence, I would recommend this book to the older teens and adults.
Nimona wasn’t really “my cup of tea” but I did like the way the story unfolded.
Devoted is about a teen, Rachel, growing up in a large family whose lives revolve around their church in Texas. The church members live isolated from the rest of society. The children are home schooled and all aspects of their lives are tightly regulated. Rachel is curious about the outside world and as she gets older she begins to question many of the church’s practices and ultimately needs to choose between her own beliefs and her family. A good thought provoking book.
I only have 1 more book to complete the challenge, but there are several more I’d still like to read. I’ll have less reading time in the upcoming month, but I’ll see how far I get.
I read two books this week – first was Esperanza Rising. The story got me in and kept me going. Esperanza’s naivety about the world was a bit too much to be believable to me. That said, the story stuck with me and I really enjoyed it. The second book, Sacred Heart, was not as enjoyable to me. There were too many plot lines and it was very confusing. I am not a connoisseur of graphic novels, but really enjoy some of them. Not this one, but I’m glad that I tried it!
I’ve finished 23 so far! I’m so excited; for the first time since I started doing the Hub Reading Challenge, the end is in sight! I’ve been focusing mainly on graphic novels, for two reasons: 1) I rarely read GNs otherwise, so it’s good for my readers advisory skills, and 2) they are a bit quicker to get through than most of the books, so I was hoping I’d be able to finish the challenge this year.
I’ve also listened to quite a few audio books. I really liked What If? – it was funny and interesting, and not at all what I expected. Wil Wheaton’s reading was fun and really added alot to the book.
Here’s my GoodReads page, where I’m keeping track.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4988215-amy?shelf=2016-hub-reading-challenge
I just finished Bones & All by DeAngelis today & loved it! Creepy, strange, and definitely kept my interest. Not too descriptive, which would allow those who are intrigued by the premise but put off by too much gore to still be able to access. Very well done in my opinion. I also recently read SuperMutant Magic Academy & recommend for the dark yet dorky crowd. Very funny & relatable. I’m up to 28 titles read at this point, but I’m going to keep going until I run out of things on the list I want to read or June, whichever comes first :)
Finishing up “Because you’ll never meet me” this week.
“Ashfall” and “Dumplin'” waiting in the wings.
I am really enjoyng the challenge of reading some books that I would not have otherwise chosen (especially the Graphic Novels). Some I have enjoyed more than others, one or two I found a bit hard going.
(May not complete the total of 25 but will give it a good try)
I have read and loved my final 2 books to bring my total to 25!!!! Conviction and The Weight of Feathers were so so so good. I will be continuing to read until the June date so I am going to continue reading and reviewing on NearyNotes.blogspot, love this challenge! I have read so many great books:)
#89 Luminae – 2 – difficult to read, awful format
#90 Red Queen – 4 – Between the Reds and the Silvers
Almost there – will make the whole list. May have to go to B & N and sit one day, but will finish the whole list. Read 5 off list also this past week, none of which were very memorable. The teasers made them sound better than they were.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/48956545-julie-trapp?page=4&shelf=hub-challenge
I’ve still been reading, just not commenting as much. Our school year is winding down, so things are crazy! I’ve read a couple from the list these past two weeks. I selected books that we have in our library that I had never read: Cinder by Marissa Meyer and Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy. I really enjoyed both! I can see why they have been popular with students. I don’t read much sci-fi, but I liked Cinder enough that I will probably take Scarlett and Cress home for the summer. I also really enjoyed Dumplin. I love stories with a humorous and real main character.