Epic book challenge of 2016

This year I'm in the middle of a rigorous reading challenge. 50 categories = 50 books. I've been reading feverishly trying to check off books. Highlights so far include: the Harry Potter series! I always said I'd get around to it eventually, and this was that year. I've also taken on classics by Jane Austin, Emily Bronte, and Mary Shelley. And let's not forget the Roald Dahl marathon I've had with my girls. I know full well that I may not actually get through all 50 categories, because—hello: kids. Kids who can be playing fine one second, and then I sit down with a book, and suddenly they remember that they have a mother and they NEED her. My year-and-a-half-year-old is the worst. She came pre-wired with this mom's-got-a-book-in-her-hand antennae. She can sniff out a book from three rooms away and she'll sneakily creep over to me because she loves to try and snatch a book out of my hand, laughing maniacally all the while. And you better believe she'll yank the bookmark out if I have the oversight of setting a book down within her reach. I'm starting to suspect that her one goal in life is to foil my reading challenge endeavors.

Anyway. I've got 18 books left to read. Right now I'm simultaneously reading 4 books. Well, not simultaneously simultaneously. You get the idea.

So. With all these books I've read, I thought it might be useful to get my thoughts and feelings down on paper. And by that, I mean on my blog, because what self-respecting human in 2016 still uses paper?! Talk about a hand cramp.

So I commence my reviews. Now, they aren't going to be spectacular reviews, by any means. Some of these books I don't remember many of the details because I read them at the beginning of this year, and my memory pretty much taps out after a week's worth of time. But here they are. In no particular order. Actually I'll order them by the month that I finished them. (Just ignore that part about no particular order.)

January

Category: A book set in a different country
The Nightengale, Kristen Hannah
Goodreads review: 5 stars

This was a good book. One of those put-off-bed-time-for-hours types of books. Some parts were SO tough to read, as is almost every book set during WWII.  It features two sisters, Viann, the older sister, and Isabelle, the younger sister. Viann lives in the country in France with her husband and daughter, next door to her best friend. She and her best friend's husbands go off to war, and they are left to fend for themselves and their children. There is SO much more to her story than that, though. Isabelle is younger, single, and completely fed up with the Nazis and decides to do something about it. She joins the resistance and ends up guiding British and American soldiers through the mountains to escape France. I think I appreciated Viann's story a lot more than Isabelle's story—even though Isabelle's story is one of the reasons the book became so popular. In short—I would absolutely recommend this book. I own it and you can borrow it. Keep tissues on call.

Category: A mystery or thriller
The Secret Keeper, Kate Morton
Goodreads review: 5 stars

First of all, this book only loosely fits the category of mystery and certainly doesn't fall into thriller. I originally had it in a different category but ended up moving it around a bit, and here it sits in mystery or thriller. It does have an interesting mystery in the plot—and, not to brag or anything—but I totally figured it out. The story is told in modern day and through a series of flashbacks from the 1960s and 1940s. Laurel is the main character, who at the age of 16 witnesses her mother murder a stranger that comes to their home. She tries to find answers years later, before her mother passes away. I enjoyed this story. At certain times it felt a little long-winded. But I kept at it because the story was intriguing, especially the latter part of the book. I would recommend it.

Category: A book you can finish in a day
Jonathon Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach
Goodreads review: 4 stars 

This book is 120-something pages. But probably a quarter of those pages are just blurry pictures of seagulls flying around. So that's something to look forward to. I read it in the course of one evening, and if I remember right, it's about a seagull named Jonathon Livingston Seagull (which is a very distinguished name for a bird, mind you) who doesn't fit in with the other birds because he wants to fly extra fancy. He's kind of an outcast, because apparently the seagull species thinks you should just fly normal, get your food, and then fly normal some more. Terribly intolerant, these seagulls. THEN, if I remember right, Jonathon dies? And he starts training other outside-the-box seagulls. He gains a lot of popularity in heaven. I think?? Honestly—don't take this review seriously because I'm not sure I'm remembering this right at all. Anyway, this book isn't meant to be taken at face value, because it's most definitely not about a seagull who wants to do tricksy tricks in the air. And if it were, well, that would be dumb. This book is most definitely symbolic and hints at spirituality, and even Jesus Christ. It's worth a read. If anything, just to get a glance at those blurry seagull pics.

Category: A book that made you cry
Me Before You, Jojo Moyes
Goodreads review: 2 stars

Okay, here's the thing. I liked this book. But I was so ticked off about the ending, and in a moment of reader's rage I gave it two stars on Goodreads. Looking back on it now, I maybe could have afforded it more. And let's get something else straight: I don't actually remember if I cried or not. This book originally was in a different category, but things have been shuffled around and I moved it to this category because this book most definitely has the potential as a tear-jerker. At the very least my eyes were moistened. Anyway, to go into why I felt so angry at the end would be to spoil everything. But chances are good that everyone's seen the movie by now anyway (I haven't.) Here I go anyway: I just hated that Will found no meaning to his life—even after he'd found someone who was willing to accept him for what he was after his accident. Right?!? I don't want to make light of his troubles as a quadriplegic. It would be the worst. But there is more to life! Look inward, Will! Inward! Anyway. I guess I'd recommend this book....maybe. I don't know. Do whatever you want. I don't even care.

Category: A trilogy
Three Tales of My Father's Dragon, Ruth Stiles Gannett
Goodreads review: 4 stars

I read this aloud to my girls, and they really enjoyed it. This edition of the book contains My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland.  I think our favorite was My Father's Dragon. We particularly enjoyed studying the maps on the front and back inside covers. The chapters are nice and short—which is perfect before bedtime—and the illustrations are cute. Illustrations are a MUST for Maren if we want it to keep her attention. I definitely recommend this as a read-aloud with kids.

Up next: February books! I started the Harry Potter series, and I also read a Pulitzer that JUST so happens to hold the title as my least-favorite book I've read so far this year.

Now, back to reading. For realsies, I've already lost so much time.