#ReadingChallenge Check-In ~ @AuthorKristina Knight

Wow! I can't believe we're already in the first week of April...that means a whole quarter of 2017 is gone - and wow, I'm already behind on my reading challenges. I already talked about the two reading challenges I'm doing this year, so I thought I'd check in with all of you.

On the 50 book challenge I'm at...a woeful 10. And that's with my RITA reading. At this point, I'll barely hit 40 unless I pick up the pace a bit so...that's my goal for April ~ June - to pick up the reading pace.

I'm doing a little better on the read/watch challenge - and by 'better' I totally just mean I have my head at the water line. I've made it through all three monthly challenges (bingeing on The West Wing has been a highlight of my year so far!). Oh, and Megan Crane has a fun time-travel called I Love the 80s -- y'all should check it out. Such a fun read!

The challenge theme for April is time, so I'm thinking about some time-travel reading --- anyone have suggestions? And I'm going to watch some "Once Upon A Time", because they've all time-shifted out of fairytale land, right? It fits!

Here are a few highlights from both challenges:

I've rediscovered my love of the memoir. I finished Hadley Freeman's "Life Moves Pretty Fast", a memoir about all those great 80s movies we all love. I'd never considered "Dirty Dancing" a movie with a feminist bent but...it is. Freeman's essays on Baby & Johnny, on the angst of "Sixteen Candles", and how we all wanted to be Molly...gah, the whole book took me back. Whether you're a memoir lover or not, check out the book, it's really good.

Another highlight: reading The Chronicles of Narnia as an adult. bebe has gotten interested in the books, and she's capable of reading them on her own, but we've been reading them together, and I'm loving it. I'd forgotten how immersing The Magician's Nephew was. How, even though I love the other books in the series, that one was always my favorite.

Visiting the library. One of the things I wanted to get away from with both of these reading challenges was screen time. I like the feel of a book in my hands (although I'll never get rid of my Kindle), so scrounging the stacks at our local library for a new book has been so much fun.

Favorite reads (so far): Jules Bennett's Wrapped in You, Nora Roberts' Island of Glass, Hadley Freeman's Life Moves Pretty Fast, Inglath Cooper's Jane Austen Girl, and Jane Austen Rules by Sinead Murphy.

I mentioned I was looking for time-travels above, if you have a suggestion, leave them in the comments. Here are a few more books on my TBR: Elin Hilderbrand's 'Winter' Trilogy, a couple of craft books (one called Writer Off Leash), and some Robyn Carr.

Have you read any great books so far this year?                                                                ~Kristina

Comments

  1. No time travel ideas--sorry! I'm readying Cheryl Reavis's Band of Brothers right now--it's a sequel to The Marine and ripping my heart out. I want to read some Elin Hilderbrand--library patrons swear by her! As far as the challenge goes, I'm reading my 19th right now. I've probably had five I didn't finish, and didn't count them because I didn't go past the halfway mark in the reading. Still loving the challenge. Good post, Kristi, with good ideas.

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    1. I loved Hilderbrand's The Island, but I started reading her 'Winter' series and...no. Those books are written in 3rd person/present and it kept me from connecting with the characters.

      Great job on your challenge reads - you're way ahead of me!! :D

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  2. I need to count to see where I'm at--somewhere between you and Liz, I suspect. But, I do have a couple of suggestions for you :)

    For time travel, I recommend Gwyn Cready. I especially enjoyed Seducing Mr. Darcy and Timeless Desire. I think I'm going to begin her Highlander series for the challenge. Thanks for reminding me :) And if you haven't watched the new TV show Timeless. I highly recommend it.

    For a different "time" twist, The Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable or Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey are loosely based on the same story of a Paris apartment being unearthed decades later and finding treasures from the twenties and thirties untouched by time. If I'm remembering correctly :)

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    1. A DARCY BOOK!!! I am IN! Thanks for the recs, Margie! And the Paris books sound like a lot of fun.

      I haven't watched Timeless yet (too many other things already on the DVR) but it looks really cool. May be something I stream this summer.

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    2. I really got into the TV show Timeless earlier this year. A friend and I watched it together (though she lives on the other side of the country) and then we talked about what we figured would happen to the characters. I'm happy to say the writers of the show surprised us and kept us guessing!

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  3. I too, loved The Paris Apartment and Paris Time Capsule. I fell in love with that particular story when my DIL told me about it back in 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323297/Inside-Paris-apartment-untouched-70-years-Treasure-trove-finally-revealed-owner-locked-fled-outbreak-WWII.html.

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    1. thanks for the link, Nan, I'm excited to read it!

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