2018 Book Challenges – My Suggestions

The 26-book 2018 reading challenge

1. A book you read in school – Native Son by Richard Wright
2. A book from your childhood – Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow
3. A book published over 100 years ago  – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
4. A book published in the last year – N/A
5. A non-fiction book – The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xue Xinran
6. A book written by a male author – Watchers by Dean Koontz
7. A book written by a female author – Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
8. A book by someone who isn’t a writer (think Paul Kalathani or Richard Branson) – N/A
9. A book that became/is becoming a film – Alice by Sara Flanigan (Wildflowers directed by Diane Keaton. The film is good; the book is better.)
10. A book published in the 20th Century – Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
11. A book set in your hometown/region – Downtown Roanoke by Nelson Harris
12. A book with someone’s name in the title – Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
13. A book with a number in the title – 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
14. A book with a character with your first name – Mandy by Julie Edwards (Mandy is my nickname; Julie Edwards is better known as Julie Andrews)
15. A book someone else recommended to you – All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
16. A book with over 500 pages – The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
17. A book you can finish in a day – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Well, it is a book I can finish in a day. 😉 )
18. A previously banned book  – Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (I’ll leave you to learn where and why it was banned. I will tell you the ban was lifted in 1991 after Theodor Seuss Geisl’s death.)
19. A book with a one-word title – Painkiller by Steven Spruill
20. A book translated from another language – The Master and Margarita (Мастер и Маргарѝта) by Mikhail Bulgakov
21. A book that will improve a specific area of your life (aka a personal growth book) – What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew by Autism Women’s Network (Author),‎ Emily Paige Ballou (Editor),‎ Kristina Thomas (Editor),‎ Sharon daVanport (Editor)
22. A memoir or journal – Ice Bound: A Doctor’s Incredible Battle For Survival at the South Pole by Dr. Jerri Nielsen
23. A book written by someone from another country – The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (yes, Hugh Laurie aka House, MD) Country: England
24. A book set somewhere you’ll be visiting this year – Jaws by Peter Benchley
25. An award-winning book – Have to give two here. Both are about the Holocaust. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. Fantastic!
26. A self-published book – Echoes by Amanda Grabler 🙂

OR

The 52-book 2018 reading challenge

1. A book you read in school – Native Son by Richard Wright
2. A book from your childhood – Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow
3. A book published over 100 years ago  – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
4. A book published in the last year – N/A
5. A non-fiction book – The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xue Xinran
6. A book written by a male author – Watchers by Dean Koontz
7. A book written by a female author – Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
8. A book by someone who isn’t a writer (think Paul Kalathani or Richard Branson) – N/A
9. A book that became/is becoming a film – Alice by Sara Flanigan (Wildflowers directed by Diane Keaton. The film is good; the book is better.)
10. A book published in the 20th Century – Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
11. A book set in your hometown/region – Downtown Roanoke by Nelson Harris
12. A book with someone’s name in the title – Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
13. A book with a number in the title – 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
14. A book based on a true story – In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
15. A book someone else recommended to you – All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
16. A book with over 500 pages – The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
17. A book you can finish in a day – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Well, it is a book I can finish in a day. 😉 )
18. A previously banned book  – Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (I’ll leave you to learn where and why it was banned. I will tell you the ban was lifted in 1991 after Theodor Seuss Geisl’s death.)
19. A book with a one-word title – Painkiller by Steven Spruill
20. A book translated from another language – The Master and Margarita (Мастер и Маргарѝта) by Mikhail Bulgakov
21. A book that will improve a specific area of your life (aka a personal growth book) – What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew by Autism Women’s Network (Author),‎ Emily Paige Ballou (Editor),‎ Kristina Thomas (Editor),‎ Sharon daVanport (Editor)
22. A memoir or journal – Ice Bound: A Doctor’s Incredible Battle For Survival at the South Pole by Dr. Jerri Nielsen
23. A book written by someone from another country – The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (yes, Hugh Laurie aka House, MD) Country: England
24. A book set somewhere you’ll be visiting this year – Jaws by Peter Benchley
25. An award-winning book – Have to give two here. Both are about the Holocaust. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. Fantastic!
26. A book you were supposed to read in school but haven’t yet – Tess of the d’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy (Not for lack of trying though!)
27. A book with a character with your first name – Mandy by Julie Edwards (Mandy is my nickname; Julie Edwards is better known as Julie Andrews)
28. A book with a place in the title – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
29. A book set in the future
30. A play – A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
31. A scary book – It by Stephen King
32. A funny book The Adventures of Sissy Van Dyke: It’s Not Just a Name, It’s A Lifestyle by Sissy Van Dyke
33. A book of short stories – Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
34. A trilogy or series – The Adept series (septology) by Piers Anthony
35. A bestseller – Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
36. A book you own but haven’t read yet – The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
37. A book about philosophy
38. An epic poem – King Alfred by John Fitchett
39. A Victorian novel – Dracula by Bram Stoker
40. A book of poetry – Collected Poems of Emily Dickenson
41. A book with a colour in the title – Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
42. A book with an appealing cover – The Road to Happiness is Always Under Construction by Linda Gray (yes, the Linda Gray who played the lovely Sue Ellen Ewing on Dallas!)
43. A book about psychology – N/A
44. A book about science – Partners of the Heart: An Autobiography by Vivien T. Thomas (Inspiration for the Emmy award-winning HBO film Something the Lord Made with Yasiin Bey and Alan Rickman.)
45. A graphic novel – N/A
46. A self-published book – Echoes by Amanda Grabler 🙂
47. A young adult book – The Boxcar Children #1 by Gertrude Chandler Warner
48. A book from another country –  The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (Author is Australian, story is set in South Africa during the 1930s-1940s.
49. A book of non-fiction essays – The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon by Pat Pinsent (Author),‎ Mary Pharr (Author),‎ Jann Lacoss (Author),‎ M. Katherine Grimes (Author),‎ Roni Natov (Author),‎ David K. Steege (Author),‎ Farah Mendlesohn (Author),‎ Eliza T. Dresang (Author),‎ Terri Doughty (Author),‎ Lana A. Whited  (Editor)***
50. A book by an author you haven’t read before – The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
51. A book set in a country you’ve never been to – Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xue Xinran
52. A book set in the place you live today – Why Now? The Night the Wolves Escaped from Bays Mountain by CS Thompson (Not quite where I live but pretty close.)

***I was lucky enough to have both Dr. Whited and Dr. Grimes as professors during my time at Ferrum College!

My post about the challenge with blank copies of each list is here, plus credit and a link to the site I got the challenge from.