Summer Reading Challenge

In mid August I finished my third summer reading challenge from my friend Amy’s blog. Amy gives a list of 25+ categories to read from. The challenge is to read seven books during the summer. Participants choose a “penalty book” as the eighth book and if you don’t read it, you lose two books. The penalty book is to be a book you’ve been meaning to read but just can get to.
I print the challenge. Then, go through my WTR pile, (that’s want to read for you non-readers) and jot down which of those books fit which categories. My penalty book is usually an easy pick, it’s a book I’ve been trying to get through for several months by the time summer hits. I gather the books from my shelf or from the library and start reading!
My penalty book was an advance copy of a memoir written by a famous actor. I have tried to get through it for over a year. I was on page 255/376 when Amy gave me permission to switch books. I literally trashed it because I couldn’t allow anyone else to suffer through it.
In its place, I read Michelle O’Neal’s memoir “Learning to Stay” . Michelle is a fellow Writer on the Rock member. Her book had sat on my shelf for several months as I had been warned it was not an easy read. It was raw and sometimes shocking but I am a better person for having read it.
The following categories and books rounded up my summer reading challenge.

Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts was my verb in the title. Billie wrote the acclaimed Where the Heart Is and is a fellow Okie. I love her books because they take me home.
My favorite color( in a title) is Red so I ‘read’ Dan Gutman’s Red, Weird and Blue. A children’s book but a fun read and part of his series, Weird School. Share it with your second through fourth grader.
The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick is a must read memoir writers! I picked up some great plot tips from this professional book.
I listen to many audiobooks because everywhere I drive is a distance. Mk Oliver’s A Sociopath’s Guide to Marriage was a Real Simple Magazine recommendation. I laughed from the first line straight through to the ending. Although the ending was not as satisfying as I might have liked, I still chuckle when I remember some of the great writing! Beware, there is some offensive language.
I chose my own adventure by taking a category from last year that I particularly loved. Reading a book from your childhood. In honor of Nancy Drew’s 95th birthday, I re-read The Secret of the Old Clock. Check out my blog about it posted July 1 @TonyaAnn,Writer Facebook page.
My book with a great first line was an accident. In honor of Jane Yolen’s passing I picked up The Devil’s Arithmetic. Being a fan of hers, I don’t how I’ve missed this one. The line: “I’m tired of remembering. Hannah said to her mother as she climbed into the car.” Tired of remembering takes her down a path she would never have chosen but gives her plenty of reason to remember. While it is a middle grade novel, adult readers will love the suspense and fantasy that is Jane Yolen signature.
My final read was way out of my comfort zone. I am not a chef or Ramsey kitchen cook. I like and make basic recipes. Everything the Pioneer Woman makes looks so good and I have made a few of her dishes. However, they are labor intensive. For that reason, I have very few cookbooks. Tasty recipes online are my hallmark. That said, I picked up a cookbook from the challenge categories. I LOVE New York City and have always wanted to eat in Central Park at the Tavern on the Green. The tavern was too expensive for my early visits and has been closed for several years now. It reopened last year with new owners and a new chef. The beautifully illustrated Tavern on the Green Cookbook was one of my most enjoyable reads! The author organized the book by month with historical narratives and specialty recipes the chef only prepares during the specific month. I loved reading the stories and scanning the recipes. Fortunately some of them looked easy enough for this girl to try. May I recommend the Watermelon/Feta salad, Tavern deviled eggs and the Champagne Vinaigrette on anything green.