Friday, June 10, 2016

2016 Big Book Summer Challenge


Sue of Book by Book reminded me of her annual Big Book Summer Challenge and I'm glad she did because I enjoy this challenge so much, being a lover of chunkster books.

The Details:Hey, it's summer, so we'll keep this low-key and easy!
  • Anything over 400 pages qualifies as a big book.
  • The challenge runs from Memorial Day weekend (May 27) through Labor Day weekend (Sep 5).
  • Choose however many big books you want as your goal. Just 1 is fine!

There's also a Goodreads group to sign up for the challenge, post updates, and show which Big Books you are reading!  I love Goodreads groups.

And, there's a Big Book Giveaway at the end of summer. 

Help spread the word on Twitter with #BigBookSummer (you can follow Sue at @suebookbybook).

So now to the nitty-gritty...what am I going to read for the challenge?  Trouble is, I just finished Roots, am close to finishing Dragonfly in Amber, and am already working on Centennial.  All books that clock in at well over 400 pages but started well before Memorial Day.  Luckily I have lots of big books on several 2016 reading lists to choose from.

Not sure how many I will finish, but from my TBR Pile Challenge list, here are the candidates:
  • Blonde, by Joyce Carol Oates 
  • The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton  
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini  
  • Time and Chance, by Sharon Kay Penman
From my Back to the Classics Challenge list, here are some possibilities for the summer:
  • The Custom of the Country, by Edith Wharton
  • The Small House at Allington, by Anthony Trollope 
  • Behind a Mask by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • Salem Chapel by Mrs. Oliphant
And then, of course, there are the new books that haven't distracted me from my reading lists but are sure to!

Happy summer reading and join me in the Summer Big Book Challenge!


6 comments:

  1. Welcome to the Big Book Summer Challenge! I'm so glad you decided to join the fun again :)

    Looks like you have some great candidates for summer reading. I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Forgotten Garden was also very good.

    Enjoy your big books!

    Sue

    2016 Big Book Summer Challenge

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  2. Hmm I'm sure I'll read at least 1 over 400 pgs this summer. I have read the two you mention The Forgotten Garden and A Thousand Splendid Suns (bleak!). Both are pretty good. I'll need to make a list too. thanks

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  3. This is so not my challenge. In the summer I like to read books that are 300 pages or less. I know, it's kind of sad. :) I'm very impressed by the list of books you're planning on tackling. Good luck! (And happy reading, especially The Custom of the Country. I love Edith Wharton.)

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  4. This is a good idea for a challenge. It looks like you have a great list pf possibilities.

    I tend to read long books so maybe I will join in. In fact, I am simultaneously reading two books and they are both over 600 pages long!

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  5. Good luck on this challenge! I think it is great that you can double up and read books from other challenges that will also qualify here; efficient! For whatever reason, I am more inclined to read big books in winter? Not that it gets very cold where I live.

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  6. Good list with lots to choose from. For me, the best and fastest read would be the Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath), but I happen to also love that a lot. Good luck on your challenge. I get a rash when I think about big scary books... :-)

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