2015 MMD Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

I'm sorry to say that I barely limped across the finish line in finishing my 2015 reading challenge with Modern Mrs. Darcy, and only if we count one book for 2 separate categories, and kind of twist another category to make a book fit. 

Committing to do better with her 2016 challenge (as well as participating in my friend Cami's challenge at Worthington Ave.!). 

1) A book you’ve been meaning to read: Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell). I read this in high school, but have been meaning to re-read it for years. I reread it in 2015 and loved it. I’m not sure I actually remembered anything about it from my initial read-- it felt brand new. See my review HERE.

2) A book published this year: First Frost (Sarah Addison Allen) I generally don’t keep up with new releases (too overwhelmed by my current to-read list to keep an eye out for new ones!), but I loved Garden Spells and have been excitedly waiting for a sequel. I reviewed First Frost HERE.

3) A book in a genre you don’t typically read: The Devil in the White City (Erik Larson) I think it’s safe to say that historical non-fiction is entirely out of my typical reading zone. I read this for a book club and loved it. I reviewed it HERE.

 4) A book from your childhood: Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) Anne was a huge part of my childhood, but mainly in movie form--I watched the movies dozens (if not hundreds!) of times as a kid (and asked for them for Christmas this year so my kids can grow up with Anne, too). Sadly, I had never read the book until this year, so I'm glad to check this one off my list. My review is HERE, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

 5) A book your mom loves: My plan was to reread To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) or The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett). I didn't get to either of them, so I can only check this category off if I count Anne of Green Gables again (which is definitely a favorite of my mom's).

6) A book that was originally written in a different language: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne) I struggled to find a book to fit this category, then it fell into my lap as a book club selection. Buuuut I did not care for it at all.

7) A book ‘everyone’ has read but you: The Gifts of Imperfection (Brene Brown) I saw this book reviewed and recommended over and over again on blogs and from friends, and I felt like I must be the last person to pick it up! I thought it was a great book with lots of amazing insight, although it left me feeling a little lost—like all my issues had been spread out on the table for me to analyze and fret over, but I wasn’t sure what to do to fix them. I think I need therapy. Full book review HERE.

 8) A book you chose because of the cover: Five Quarters of the Orange (Joanne Harris) jumped out at me from a used bookstore shelf, and I absolutely loved it.  I reviewed it HERE.

9) A book by a favorite author: Alias Grace (Margaret Atwood) I’ve loved Margaret Atwood since being bowled over by The Handmaid’s Tale in high school (and again more recently!), and have read quite a few of her novels (some with greater success than others). I had mixed feelings about Alias Grace—you can see my review HERE.

10) A book recommended by someone with great taste: Summers at Castle Auburn (Sharon Shinn) Two of my very well-read cousins gave this book great reviews on Goodreads, which made it a perfect fit for this category. With a little magic, a little romance, and a little castle intrigue, it was right up my alley. See my review HERE.

11) A book you should have read in high school: Here is my second 'cheater' category. I didn't specifically read a book to fit this category (unsurprising, since it was the category I was least excited about. But I can kind of check it off if we count Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen), which seems like it could be a high school English class read, or Wonder (R.J. Palacio), which would probably be more of a middle grade reading assignment. Not sure I can totally check this category off the list, but I guess I came close.

12) A book that’s currently on the bestseller list: The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins) Reminiscent of Gone Girl (but with significantly less stick-with-you creep factor), this was fast and exciting and hard to put down. See my review HERE.

If you're interested in participating in Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2016 reading challenge, you can find all the details HERE. And for more fun categories, check out my friend Cami's 2016 reading challenge at Worthington Ave!