An immodest title, I know, but reading fifty books in specific categories is no small feat. In January, I began a reading challenge that I stumbled across on Facebook. I joined the private Facebook group, copied the rules and categories, and then set off on my own to complete the challenge.
The rules state that each book can fulfill up to two categories. Because I am competitive (even with myself), I was determined to use each book for only one category.
I simply read what I wanted and plugged books into categories. By September, I had about ten to go, and then I had to start searching for specific books. It was a great way to read works I wouldn’t typically choose, and I enjoyed pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Here are the books I read, with brief notes on each one unless it is linked to a review I wrote this year.
A book with more than 500 pages Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Galbadon
My favorite book series ever. The Outlander television series on Starz is pretty awesome too, and very true to the book.
A classic romance A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A GoodReads nominee for Best YA Fantasy and Science Fiction. Another of Maas’ books won in this category.
A book that became a movie (in 2016) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Another YA book that I read for book club. Entertaining enough, but not enough to read the sequel.
A book published this year Dear Stephanie by Mandi Castle
A book with a number in the title Thirteen Ways of Looking by Colum McCann
McCann is a great writer, but these short stories didn’t wow me.
A book written by someone under 30 The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
Strong second novel in the Bone Season series, and a GoodReads nominee for Best Fantasy.
A book with nonhuman characters The Raven by Sylvain Reynard
My guilty pleasure – paranormal romance. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that.
A funny book Mosquitoland by David Arnold
A book by a female author The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro
A mystery or thriller The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A book with a one-word title Rooms by Lauren Oliver
A book of short stories Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
Like the other book of short stories I read, well-written but just not my genre.
A book set in a different country The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
A nonfiction book Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Not as funny as Tina Fey’s Bossypants, but still good. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Amy herself.
A popular author’s first book On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves
A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova
A book a friend recommended The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A Pulitzer Prize-winning book March by Geraldine Brooks
A book based on a true story The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion by Meghan Daum
A book at the bottom of your to-read list Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
A good coming of age novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century. I’m not sure why I never reviewed this one!
A book your mom loves The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
A book that scares you The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
Scary in terms of the fact that in many countries, women are still treated like they were a century ago – like property.
A book more than 100 years old The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
I always knew this novel exposed the meat packing industry, but the true story is that of a young immigrant struggling to make a life for himself and his family in America. I’m glad I listened to it as an audiobook – it would be a tough read to trudge through.
A book based entirely on its cover $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer
I saw this on a display table at the library, and was intrigued. It’s a relatively short read, and an in-depth look at the cycle of poverty in this country.
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t This is the only category I haven’t finished. I asked for suggestions on my Facebook page, and I am sixty pages into the 700+ page The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. I also have Go Tell it on the Mountain and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, which are both significantly shorter.
A memoir Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris
A book you can finish in a day The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
A book with antonyms in the title The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy Foley
Family secrets, love lost…a decent if not particularly original read.
A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
In 17th century Amsterdam, young bride Nella discovers there are secrets in her new home. Okay, but not as good as the description led me to believe.
A book that came out the year you were born Maurice by E.M. Forster
This novel was published the year I was born but written in 1913. Forster’s treatment his homosexual main character as simply a man looking for a loving relationship was groundbreaking. Even so, I found the book a bit dull.
A book with bad reviews Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont
Critics liked this book, but it has a GoodReads rating of 2.94 stars out of five, and I gave it two stars. Allie didn’t like it either. It’s well-written, but Pierpont skipped ahead in Part Two of the book, and knowing the ending completely destroyed the arc of the plot for me.
A trilogy The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman (book 3 of the trilogy)
I enjoyed the first two books, and this was a satisfying conclusion. The trilogy is a quirky story with a Narnia feel.
A book from your childhood Why Have the Birds Stopped Singing by Zoa Sherburne
This is the only book in the challenge that I had already read. I bought a copy on Ebay and read it again.
A book with a love triangle At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen
A book set in the future Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I liked this beautifully written novel, but not as much as the critics. It is much more lyrical than a typical post-apocalyptic tale – definitely worth the time.
A book set in high school Every Day by David Levithian
A book with a color in the title Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The first book in a planned trilogy, this novel won GoodReads Choice Award for Best Debut GoodReads author. It is YA fantasy/science fiction, and my favorite read in that category this year.
A book that made you cry I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
A book with magic Order of Seven by Beth Tehilo
A graphic novel Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
I have never read a graphic novel, but this one is the basis for the Broadway musical of the same name. The show won a Tony for Best Musical in 2015. I’m betting it was better than the book, which was just okay. I found it annoying to have to read around the drawings.
A book by an author you’ve never read before The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
A book you own but have never read Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
A book that takes place in your hometown The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
A book that was originally written in a different language The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
A book set during Christmas A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Technically, only two chapters in this novel take place at Christmas, but I’m counting it.
A book written by an author with your same initials A Guide for the Perplexed: A Novel by Dara Horn
An odd but interesting mingling of biblical times, the Middle Ages, and the present digital age, this book is tough to describe. It was decent, although I was expecting more based on the book jacket.
A play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
This could count as the book I never read in school, too. I’m not a big fan of madcap farce, but I’m sure I liked it more now than I would have in high school.
A banned book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
I can understand why this book is taboo, although it certainly has a place in literature. Jeremy Irons narrated the audio version, and he was fabulous. I’m not sure I could have sustained attention had I read this one, but I’m glad I listened to it.
A book based on or turned into a TV show movie The Martian by Andy Weir
A book you started but never finished Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen
I know this will shock Quindlen fans, but I just couldn’t get into this one.
If you’re up for a challenge in 2016, give it a try! And look for my Best Books of 2015 post at the end of the month. Happy reading!
I have read Martian and Girl on the train from your list. I have Nightingale too with me. Congrats for completing the challenge! It was a difficult challenge.
What I wanted to say was that Nightingale is on my tbr list
Thanks Avada!
That’s just amazing!! Congrats for meeting your goal! I must say that this year was good for me too because I did actually read and finish a few books!
Coincidentally, I did read The Pearl that broke its shell. I wasn’t very impressed with it compared to Khalid Hosseini’s writings though!
Also, The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books ever! I know it is wordy though, so best of luck if you decide to continue reading it!
I can see your point about The Pearl that Broke its Shell vs Hosseini’s writings. I still enjoyed it though.
I am going to plow through the Count…I may read a little in between other books!
Wow! That is no mean feat. Congratulations on completing the challenge!
I came across your blog through Roshni’s, and I am so glad to have stopped by. We have a lot in common. I too love to read and am a compulsive list maker. 😀
P.S. I am compiling a reading challenge for myself for 2016; will add a couple of challenges from here, as they seem very interesting. Thank you so much. 🙂
Nice to meet you, Shantala! I wouldn’t mind doing another challenge, although maybe not with 50 categories. Looking forward to visiting your blog – always good to connect with a fellow list and book lover.
Oh my goodness – you total rocked this! I am so proud of you – and I’m intrigued. I like the categories – and I may try to do this in 2016. But first I have to get my head on straight (holiday madness).
Comments: I LOVED the book seller. I felt the same way about Amy Pohler’s book/Tina’s. I am sad you didn’t like Lots of Candles, Plenty of cake – I loved it. Cried a few times, too. My husband read the magician series and devoured those books, but totally not my bag. I know I have to read the outlander series, but it is so intimidating.
Just read one book at a time, Allie! The first one is the shortest.
I wanted to like Quindlen’s book, just couldn’t get into it. There’s a book for everyone, though, right?
You so totally rocked it! Congratulations! Whoot!
Thanks 🙂
So many great sounding books! A Court of Thorns and Roses is going on my TBR list 🙂
That was a great one to listen to – I love to sprinkle YA into my reads.
High five! You have a lot to be proud of – this is an impressive list. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure! Off to read your huge list right now…
I’m in awe of this. I want to do the challenge next year. I think I could. I am one of those weird moms who finds time to read, because, sanity.
I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and wanted so much more.
I always find time to read, too. Yes, because sanity!
I think I may partake in this challenge next year. I have read so many fantastic book this year, many at your recommendation. I just finished Me Before You — I can’t remember if you recommended it in one of your posts? Read it in 3 days! I’m looking forward to your next book post and adding those to my list 🙂
I did mention Me Before You, and the sequel After You. Both great.
I am so impressed! I don’t think I made it anywhere near my goal (a number that now escapes me, but I know was ridiculously optimistic), but I did read some good books this year. I enjoyed The Nightingale, Girl on the Train, and At the Water’s Edge. Never made it all the way through Go Set A Watchman. Oh well. Always love reading your book lists. Oh, and I started to read Outlander, but it’s just like the series and I love watching that because, well because Claire and Jamie of course. So I think I’ll stick to the show because it’s obvious I can’t make it through that many books!
I’m excited for the show to come back soon – did you see it was nominated for a few Golden Globes? And I didn’t even attempt Go Set a Watchman…
I love your book lists. I’ve read several of these and I plan to check out several more. Great job on the challenge!
Thank you!
L and I are making weekly library trips these days, and this sounds like a fun challenge to increase the variety in what we check out. Though our initials are kind of odd…don’t know how I’d find a book by an author with the same initials!
I stood in the H section and skimmed the authors, looking for a first initial “D” – not scientific but it worked!
Wow, what a great challenge! Congrats on finishing! I’m reading only 25 books for the Goodreads challenge, and I’m in the middle of my last book now. Now I have some new books to add to my list for 2016!
Twenty-five books is nothing to sneeze at, Ginny Marie. Hope there have been lots of good ones!
I haven’t finished “Lots of Candles” either and I love Anna Quindlan!
Ok, I am in for next year’s challenge. This is every kind of awesome, Dana!
what an amazing challenge…and a huge accomplishment. kudos to you. it is really amazing everything you read. i loved lolita read by jeremy irons. the nightingale and the martian are on my list.
I listened to both of those…so different, but equally good.
Very interesting idea for book challenge. I am currently my 7th book of the year, so no way I would’ve completed this whole list, but does give some ideas for getting out of the usual. Can’t wait to see you 2015 review list to give ideas for 2016!
It was cool to read some books I would never have chosen on my own. Stayed tuned for more ideas…
O. M. G.
YOU really, truly rock. I’ m a bit envious.
What did you think of (Inside the O’Briens) by Lisa Genova
I wrote to Genova afterwards and said WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! I mean, I gasped at the ending.
Did I tell you “YOU Rock?”
Thank you for this list.
Did you have an ALL TIME FAVE or did I miss that? xx
I really liked Genova’s book – while it was sad, it was not a depressing book, if that makes sense.
My faves are coming soon…
I LOVE how you did these categories to name all the book. So clever! I often feel that the two of us are in a book club. Is that weird? I have similar opinions of the books we have both read, though I didn’t really like Boston Girl. (I wanted to so much!) Exact same review of Yes, Please. Agree on not reading the sequel to Peculiar Children.
I would love to be in a book club with you, Nina. Not weird at all! I thought of you when I bailed on Quindlen’s book, because I think I remember you liking her. Just couldn’t get into it.
I didn’t even use all the books I read for this list, but it was fun to fit them into categories. It fulfilled my need to organize 🙂
Congratulations! I don’t think I would be able to do this, even though you know I love to read. So glad you agreed with me about “Ten Thousand Things” and I didn’t even make it to the part where the author ruins the book 🙂
You can totally count “Owen Meany” as a holiday book, I certainly do. And thank you for all the great recommendations. I still think about “Dear Stephanie,” which was a great recommendation from you.
Looking forward to more in 2016!
Thanks Allie! I’ll keep writing them if you keep reading.
AWESOME! And you TOTALLY judged some of them by their covers! I laughed at you getting annoyed about having to read around the pictures in the graphic novel 😉
WELL DONE!
The pictures weren’t nearly as fun as your drawings are. Those I will read around any day.
Bless your boots!
This is seriously awesome and love that you reached your goal here. Also going through your above list better now to see what I haven’t read just yet and what I would like to add to my own list now, too 😉
Hope you find a few, Janine!