Over 2016, I have worked on two reading challenges with some but not complete success! It has been a learning curve. Yes, there has been a chance to read books that I wouldn't have otherwise tackled but I have learned that having prescriptive challenges doesn't really work for me. There were books that had to be read for running a children's book club or for my children's education which didn't fit into the challenges.
So for 2017, I hope to try a less prescriptive list without specific titles and where most of the books can be any age. This list is the 2017 Christian Reading Challenge. It includes categories which are specifically Christian but also some quite general categories including the useful Book of your choice. This reading plan has four different goals. I hope to aim at the Committed Reader which includes 52 books over the year. This year, so far, I have read 64 books so this should, I hope, be realistic.
The challenge suggests starting with the Light Plan and choosing these books first so these are my current ideas. Please note that I haven't read these books so they aren't recommendations. If you have read them, please comment about your thoughts on these books
Biography: A passion for the impossible: A life of Lilias Trotter-Miriam Rockness
Classic novel: Ivanhoe-Walter Scott
History: Catastrophe:Europe goes to war 1914-Max Hastings
Book targeted at own gender: Mere Motherhood-Cindy Rollin
Theology: Spurgeon and Hypercalvinism- Ian Murray.
At least 400 pages: Nicholas Nickleby-Charles Dickens
Book your pastor recommends: The Holy War-John Bunyan
Christian living: The Lord's Day-Joseph Pipa
More than 100 years old: Five English Reformers-JC Ryle
Published in 2017-not sure but possibly Douglas Bond's upcoming book on Luther and Katie.
Children/teens: Journey to the River Sea-Eva Ibbotson.
Book of choice: Still Alice-Lisa Genova-Edited 26th December 2016-I have just ruined this plan by finishing this book today! Highly recommended though.
Current issue- I am Malalia-Malalia Yousafzai
Have you read any of these books? Any other recommendations? I hope to find books for the later stages of the challenge, as well, so ideas are most helpful.
If you enjoyed this post you may like to follow Delivering Grace by Google Friend Connect, G+,Facebook, Pinterest or e-mail.
So for 2017, I hope to try a less prescriptive list without specific titles and where most of the books can be any age. This list is the 2017 Christian Reading Challenge. It includes categories which are specifically Christian but also some quite general categories including the useful Book of your choice. This reading plan has four different goals. I hope to aim at the Committed Reader which includes 52 books over the year. This year, so far, I have read 64 books so this should, I hope, be realistic.
The challenge suggests starting with the Light Plan and choosing these books first so these are my current ideas. Please note that I haven't read these books so they aren't recommendations. If you have read them, please comment about your thoughts on these books
Biography: A passion for the impossible: A life of Lilias Trotter-Miriam Rockness
Classic novel: Ivanhoe-Walter Scott
History: Catastrophe:Europe goes to war 1914-Max Hastings
Book targeted at own gender: Mere Motherhood-Cindy Rollin
Theology: Spurgeon and Hypercalvinism- Ian Murray.
At least 400 pages: Nicholas Nickleby-Charles Dickens
Book your pastor recommends: The Holy War-John Bunyan
Christian living: The Lord's Day-Joseph Pipa
More than 100 years old: Five English Reformers-JC Ryle
Published in 2017-not sure but possibly Douglas Bond's upcoming book on Luther and Katie.
Children/teens: Journey to the River Sea-Eva Ibbotson.
Book of choice: Still Alice-Lisa Genova-Edited 26th December 2016-I have just ruined this plan by finishing this book today! Highly recommended though.
Current issue- I am Malalia-Malalia Yousafzai
Have you read any of these books? Any other recommendations? I hope to find books for the later stages of the challenge, as well, so ideas are most helpful.
If you enjoyed this post you may like to follow Delivering Grace by Google Friend Connect, G+,Facebook, Pinterest or e-mail.
We read Nicholas Nickelby a few years ago with our homeschool group and enjoyed it, but if you are reading it with the children, there is a death near the end of the book which you may or may not want to read first to decide if it's suitable for the children to hear. I haven't read any of the others, so will be interested to hear how you get on!
ReplyDeleteThat is useful to know-thank you. I was planning to read it myself first. It often seems that only a small percentage of what I preread for the book club turns out to be suitable for one reason or another.
DeleteReally useful links, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helen. Hope you have a happy Christmas and New Year.
DeleteHi there, I found your blog through your link on Semicolon! I love looking at book lists! What age are the children you are doing a book club with? Have you read "The War That Saved My Life" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley? It's classified as "Middle Grade" and it's a WONDERFUL book, but I wouldn't recommend it for kids younger than middle school because of an abusive parent in the book. It's fantastic, though! My daughter teaches 4th grade (age 9 here in the US) and she loved the book and encouraged me to read it, but she wouldn't read it to her class. So many books seem to have terminal illness, family dysfunction, issues of abuse of all kinds, etc in them. I have grandchildren in grades Kindergarten, 2 and 3 and they are good readers, and it's hard to find books for sensitive children that are challenging them in their reading.
ReplyDeleteSoozie4Him
moot96 AT aol DOT com (I don't use the gmail address)
Soozie, thank you. I hadn't heard about "The War that Saved my Life" but looking it up, it might well be ideal for next year when I hope to study the Second World War with my children.
DeleteYes, it is often difficult to find books for good readers in lower grades. A set of books that were a hit with the younger members of the book club, at the beginning of the year, were the Boy who Biked the World series by Alasdair Humphreys. They don't have complex issues but are a joyous journey around the world on a bike.
I read Journey to the River Sea, but I looked at Semicolon and no review. I do remember liking it, but I don't remember whether there is anything in it to disqualify or caution it for your book club. I've read Nicholas Nickleby --a long time ago--and although it's not my favorite Dickens, I think it's good. But I'm a Dickens fan. Thanks for linking your lists a Semicolon. I'm off to look at the 2017 Christian Reading Challenge, although I've already made several lists of books I want to read this year. I'm not sure I can fit the choices I've already made into the challenge template, but it does sound like fun.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry, I like Eva Ibbotson's young adult books so hope that Journey to the River Sea will work for the group.
DeleteMy experience of Dickens, so far, is that I either love his books, for example, Bleak House or Tale of Two Cities, or fail to finish the books, for example, David Copperfield and Great Expectations. I'm hoping to persevere with Nicholas Nickelby.
I Am Malala was one of my top books read this year. Nicholas Nickelby is one Dickens book I haven't read yet. I just read Ivanhoe for the first time a few years ago and enjoyed it. I haven't made my reading plans for next year yet - hope to get to that next week. I like having a basic plan but with breathing room for other choices along the way.
ReplyDeleteThe Lilias Trotter book is slow but good. I read it aloud to my daughter & she enjoyed it as Lilias was an artist so that kept her interested. Nicholas Nickeby isn't as convoluted as some of Dickens' other books. I really liked it but I like Dickens. The Holy War was very popular with my children.
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