What is a 30-Day Book Challenge? That is a great question. I took this list from a reading challenge I found on Pinterest, but when I clicked it, I ended up on Polyvore (which has nothing to do with books). The challenge is a list of book recommendations. Are you ready? Me too!
Day 1: Best Book You Read Last Year
I rated two books five stars last year, so they are tied for best book.
The first book was The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingleman-Sundberg. I’m not sure why it’s rated so low on Goodreads (3.24!?!? Seriously? Did we not read the same book?). I loved the story. It focuses on Martha Andersson and her friends at the retirement home. They feel like they have been ignored by society and the retirement home because they are seniors. They decide to do something about that and commit a white-collar crime.
The other five-star book I rated was The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural by Agatha Christie. This book is a collection of short stories that were published in various forms around the world, some only in the United Kingdom and some only in the United States.
Day 2: A Book You’ve Read More Than 3 Times
Honestly, I don’t reread books. I think the last book I read more than once was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Once upon a time, I used to reread the Harry Potter books before the next one came out. That ended once The Order of the Phoenix arrived. I couldn’t reread it. In my opinion, it is the worst of the seven books.
Day 3: Your Favorite Series
I don’t tend to read many series, or if I do, I don’t realize they are serial books until after I start reading them and log them into my Goodreads. That said! There is one series I adore, and no, it’s not Harry Potter. I feel that maybe that has been overdone. I prefer books and series that others don’t know about or don’t hear much about. One series I liked a lot was the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. I say this because I enjoyed the first four books in the series, books 5-8. I didn’t like them as much.
One series that I love is the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Yes, I know everyone loves these books. But when I started reading them, I saw that they didn’t have the open love they have now. Maybe it’s because everyone was too young to show their love then. Yes, I know that the PJO is technically five books long, but we all know there are 15 books when you add The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo. I am currently reading the last book and trying to avoid spoilers. Why? Because Uncle Rick can be a mean one!
Day 4: Favorite Book of Your Favorite Series
Please don’t ask me to name my favorite. I can’t and won’t! It’s like picking a favorite child—not happening!
Day 5: A Book That Makes Me Happy
I’ll have to go with A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. Yes, I know the book has sad bits, but the whole thing is so good! Yes, I cried at the end, but that doesn’t mean the book didn’t make my heart happy.
Day 6: A Book That Makes Me Sad
I think this is something that I have to think about. The books I’m mentioning here don’t make me sad, as I cried. But they make me sad because they contain a huge grain of truth, and they are topics that people shouldn’t have to deal with.
The first book is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is a YA contemporary that focuses on rape. The main character is raped at a party. Everyone at the party gets mad because she called the cops. She is ostracized at school but finally finds her voice and lets the world know what happened.
Patricia McCormick sells the second book. This is a YA contemporary that focuses on the sexual assault of a young girl. The girl thought she would work for a rich woman as a housemaid. She later discovered she was sold into the sex trade by her stepfather.
While these books are works of fiction, I know there is a grain of truth in both. And that is what makes me sad.
Day 7: A Book That Makes You Laugh
This book made me laugh loud, which isn’t bad unless you ride public transit. What book did that? Vinyl Cafe Unplugged by Stuart McLean. It is a collection of short stories about Dave and Morley and their kids. They live in Toronto, and Dave runs a record shop. Each story is just a snapshot of life, but because it’s so realistic and relatable, it is so funny. You should listen to some of Stuart McLean’s tracks if you can. He used to be a radio presenter on CBC Radio and would tell these stories on the air.
Day 8: Most Overrated Book
The most overrated book I have read, ok, tried to read, is The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I am not trashing the book; I don’t understand how it has an average of 4.38 stars on Goodreads. I couldn’t get into it after reading about half of the book. I tried; I really did—the concept I loved, not the execution. The idea of Death as the narrator is a beautiful concept.
Day 9: A Book You Thought You Wouldn’t Like But Ended Up Loving
I will have to go with The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib to do this. I was intrigued by the book when I picked it up, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. The Girls are women in a rehabilitation facility for women who deal with eating disorders. I found it to be a great read that was easy to read, even with the complex topic.
Day 10: A Book That Reminds You of Home
I can’t think of a book that reminds me of home. I haven’t encountered any set in areas I am familiar with, but plenty have cozy bits.
Day 11: A Book You Hated
I wouldn’t say I like saying that I wouldn’t say I like books because I know that someone out there probably loves them. Two books that come to mind quickly are books that I had to read for high school. One is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. My mom used to joke because she always found me asleep while reading it. The other book is Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. This book is over 200 years old, over 300 pages long, and has no chapters! I didn’t like the no chapters part, especially when I had to do various writing assignments while reading.
Day 12: A Book You Love and Hate at the Same Time
I can’t think of any books that I loved and hated at the same time.
Day 13: Your Favorite Author
Rick Riordan is probably my favorite current author. I have read many of his books, including the first 14 in the PJO universe, all 3 Magnus Chase books, and the first book in the Kane Chronicles. He has made mythology accessible to many people.
Agatha Christie is probably my favorite author of all time. I started reading her books in high school and haven’t stopped. Her first book was published over 100 years ago, and she is the most published author in history (outside of the Bible and Shakespeare)!
Day 14: Book Turned Movie and Completely Desecrated
I have to say that Percy Jackson’s movies were pretty bad, as it felt as though the director and even the screenwriters had never read the books. The Lightning Thief isn’t as bad as Sea of Monsters, but neither is great. Uncle Rick works with Disney to turn books into television shows. Here’s hoping they don’t screw up!
Day 15: Favorite Male Character
How can I narrow it down? There’s Harry and Ron; even Draco is kind of cool. There’s Percy, Jason, and who can forget Leo? Then there’s Ove. There’s Hercule Poirot; he is such a great character! He is so full of himself but, at the same time, humble.
Day 16: Favorite Female Character
Again, how can I narrow it down? There’s Hermoine, Ginny, Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel. There’s Molly Weasley. I think she’s the mom we all wish we could have.
Day 17: Favorite Quote From Your Favorite Book
Who has a favorite book? Is that allowed? One of my favorite quotes isn’t from my favorite book; it’s actually from a book I don’t like. But it is such a great line. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” Come on, that’s a great line!
Day 18: A Book That Disappointed You
Easy! Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I got, that’s for sure! Maybe my hopes were so high because I enjoyed the movie so much.
Day 19: Favorite Book Turned Into a Movie
I think I have to go with Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. The book has been turned into a movie two times—two times! Just wow! I have seen both movies—the Albert Finney 1974 version and the Kenneth Branagh 2017 version. They are both pretty true to the book, which is so rare.
Day 20: Favorite Romance Book
I’m not sure I can give just one romance book; I loved reading the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. There are 13 books total in the series. Charley is one of my favorite female characters of all time. She is so raw and honest. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. I love that!
Day 21: The First Novel I Remember Reading
Growing up, I had a bookshelf in my bedroom full of books. They were not my books; they were books my parents grew up reading. Things like the Trixie Belden series and a book featuring Dr. Kildare from a TV show, The Merchant of Venice, and The Odyssey. I read almost every book on my shelf at one point or another. I admit that I did not read The Merchant of Venice, but I read the Trixie Belden books many times.
Day 22: A Book That Makes You Cry
The first book I remember reading that made me cry was My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. The ending just tore my heart out.
Day 23: A Book You Wanted to Read For A Long Time But Still Haven’t
I read the book on my TBR for the longest time back in January. That was Gone With the Wind. I didn’t love it and somehow wish I had never read it. But what is done is done. The next book on my TBR that has been there for a long time is Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. I added it to my TBR in 2012, and I think I said it because I had a copy. I’m not sure what happened to the copy I had, so it has fallen on my list.
Day 24: A Book I Wish More People Would’ve Read
I would have to go with Allan Lazar’s nonfiction book, The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived. The book makes you think about who and what has influenced you, especially fictional characters.
Day 25: A Character You Can Relate to the Most
I’m not sure I can think of a character I can relate to the most. I can relate to some characters, but I can’t think of a single one now. Is that strange?
Day 26: A Book That Changed My Opinion About Something
I’m not sure this book changed my opinion, but it did educate me. The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib opened my eyes to eating disorders. I knew they existed before reading the book, but I never really understood what the hell it was to live with.
Day 27: The Most Surprising Plot Twist or Ending
Come on now; I can’t answer this. It would be a spoiler! But I will say that one book with the most surprising ending is And There Were None by Agatha Christie. I’ll leave it at that.
Day 28: Favorite Title of a Book
After looking through all the books on my Goodreads, I guess my favorite title is Never Dream of Dying by Raymond Benson. It is a thriller set in the James Bond world. I mean, honestly, the majority of the James Bond books have such interesting titles. Don’t believe me? Look at the titles of the movies.
Day 29: A Book That Everyone Hated But You Loved
For this one, I have to go with a book I read in 2016: July and August: A Novel by Nancy Clark. When I say that other people hate it, Goodreads’ average rating is 3.2, and I gave it a 4. The book follows the Hill family as they gather at the family house for the summer, though no one really knows why.
Day 30: Your Favorite Book of All Time
I can’t name just one book. I have 23 books listed on my favorites shelf on Goodreads. There are probably more books I could add to it, but I just started the shelf this year. Some of my favorites I haven’t mentioned here are The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, and The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore.
Did you enjoy my 30-Day Book Challenge and getting to know me better? I hope you find a new book to read in this long list. What are your answers to some of these questions? I would love to know!
Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.
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