The Reading Challenge Group discussion

I'm getting started a little late this year on my challenge, but my primary challenge will be to read 50 books this year. Here are my 5 goals for the year:

Challenge #1: Read 50 books
Challenge #2: Cover all of the BINGO squares
Challenge #3: 1 Group Read per Month
Challenge #4: Read 10 of my Physical Books
Challenge #5: Read 5 Classics

Finished 2 books recently

The Goldfinch: I loved it and didn't want it to end. I loved the characters.
The Secret History: This book was ok, maybe 3 stars. It was a little too detailed for my liking.

Currently I'm reading:
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
The Woman Who Lost Her Soul

Hi Bridget - welcome to the challenge! You have some really challenging (and interesting!) goals. I'm particularly interested in your Challenge #2. Are the BINGO squares something you're doing in a group?

Hi Kassandra--Thanks for your note. Here is the link to the BINGO squares. I thought it was a cute idea, definitely some interesting and creative topics:

http://www.retreatbyrandomhouse.ca/20...

I've only covered 2 squares so far, but I'll post updates as I have them.

Kassandra wrote: "Hi Bridget - welcome to the challenge! You have some really challenging (and interesting!) goals. I'm particularly interested in your Challenge #2. Are the BINGO squares something you're doing in a..."

Forgot to answer a question. I found the link in the "Bound Together" group.

Reading Bingo! I love it!

Good luck with your goal, Bridget. :)

Yesterday I finished:

3. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
4. The Woman Who Lost Her Soul

#3 was very funny. I laughed so hard I cried at certain chapters. I would recommend for people with dry senses of humor and sarcasm.

I'm still trying to decide how I feel about #4. It's well written but very dense. It took a few sudden twists, and I found certain parts disturbing (rape, etc).

5. The Wolf of Wall Street
I liked the movie, but, as usual, the book was better. It's based on the "Greed is Good" excess period on Wall Street in the 1980s and 1990s. It details Jordan Belfort's time as a stock broker where he committed countless acts of securities fraud, abused drugs heavily, cheated on his wife, and spent a lot of money. It's a light read with some funny stories.

6. BUtterfield 8
This book reminded me of O. Henry. The conversations largely consisted of witty banter, set in the late 1920s, lots of irony. The lead character, Gloria, has complicated relationships with men which I found intriguing, especially because her opinion changed regularly and very quickly. It is also a very quick read.

I did not realize how behind I was in posting:

7. The Stonecutter: Swedish mystery that is the 3rd in a series, similar to Steig Larsson.
8. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions: Nonfiction and gives some insight in to why people make decisions that may not be logical.
9. The Husband's Secret: Really enjoyed the characters in this novel and how they wove into each other's lives. Good beach read.
10. Fishing the Sloe-Black River: Collection of short stories by Colum McCann. I love how he writes and develops characters. However, his topics tend to be a little dark, so I have to be in the right mood (i.e. a unique friendship between a custodian in a mental hospital and a very disturbed patient and a woman who is talking to a dead body while she finishes the make-up for the funeral).
11. The Fault in Our Stars: Well-written story of a teenage cancer patient, but the story is heavy with considerable sadness. Just be prepared but worth the read.
12. Orange Is the New Black: Did not really like. Some interesting people and stories, but the author's biased viewpoint was repeated over and over again. Normally I don't mind a book with a political bias, but she repeated her thoughts so much that I became annoyed.
13. The Bees: This is a highly unique book about a beehive. The characters are bees, and the book centers around a bee in the lowest social caste and her journey/struggle to a better life within the hive. I liked it way more than I thought I would.
12.

14. The Sweet Hereafter****: Topic is very sad: school bus accident where children die. Definitely not a book for everyone. I enjoyed Banks' character development and writing still.
15. The End of Always: A Novel****: Someday soon, I'm going to stop reading books that are sad. Great book that was incredibly well-written. The main character, a woman who lives in rural Minnesota in the early 1910s, has an independent streak, but she is the victim of domestic violence, from her father and then her husband. Not a light read.
16. Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt***: Michael Lewis tells the story of the RBC trader who went on a quest to prove that high frequency traders exploited the stock market because they had information before the general public. Lewis writes well, especially in describing technical trading strategies in language that a person not familiar with stocks can, at least kind of, understand. Ok read. Not great but not bad either.
17. The Dinner****: This book is set in modern day Holland where 2 couples (men are brothers) have dinner and discuss a tragedy that their teenage sons caused. I really liked the book, though the topics are darker than I expected. I don't want to give any spoilers here, but this book was unexpected and subtle.

18. Missing Mom****: I really love Joyce Carol Oates, especially because I am also from upstate NY. Even though the topic is very sad (the main character's mother dies), I loved the writing style and story overall.
19. Heartburn****: I was determined to read a funny book, and this one delivered. The writing style is just my sense of humor!

20. The Graveyard Book**: Definitely not my style or topic.

21. What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love***: Sad topic (young death), but well written. Lots of name dropping about famous people which can be annoying.