52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge 2019

I have been logging my reading since 2009!! which means that it is easy to see the years that I had time to read and the years where it was not at the top of my to-do list. 

After being married for a year and having my job for 3 years, I decided that 2019 would be the perfect year to do a reading challenge now that my life was more settled. During Christmas break I printed off a 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge and started penciling in the books that I would read to fit each category. You can see what I came up with here.

Throughout the year I would cross off the books I read and post them on a new instagram account I made. If I started a book and it had too much swearing, I would cross it off and find a new one (sometimes I had to do this two or three times). I looked at that piece of paper often. I was constantly unfolding and re-folding it, I crossed things out, added sticky notes, added additional options, and once when it was in my school bag with my water bottle it got wet and had a nice oval ink spill when you opened it up. As silly as it sounds, I loved that paper because it was evidence of the progress I was making towards my goal. But I lost it around the beginning of November. For the rest of the year, I felt lost without it. I had mostly memorized what I had left to accomplish and could always look up the list on my previous blog post but I was so devastated to lose it!

So here's my updated list of what I actually read for each category plus 16 extra books I read.

1.A book by a Canadian author - Outliers 

2. A childhood favorite - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
3. A novel that is considered a "classic" - Emma
4. A mystery novel - Where the Crawdads Sing
5. A book you've been meaning to read but haven't gotten around to - Unbroken
6. A science fiction novel - Skyward 
7. An adventure/espionage novel - The Lost Symbol 
8. A biography - Shoe Dog
9. A book that challenges your viewpoint - This is Where You Belong
10. The first book in a trilogy - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 
11. A book with over 600 pages - Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  Vol. 1
12. A Book You can Read in a Day - Beyond Basketball
13. A Book that has won a Pultizer Prize - The Color Purple 
14. Any book from the 2017 Good Reads Choice Awards - The Great Alone
15. A Book that has been made into a movie - A Wrinkle in Time
16. A book chosen solely by its cover - The Temple Mount Code 
17. A book on theology - Power to Become 
18. A celebrity memoir - Becoming

19. A book with a six word title - The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
20. A book set in a country you want to visit - Sarah's Key
21. A book that makes you laugh out loud - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine 

22. A book you read in school - Holes 
23. A book with a green spine - Peter and the Starcatchers
24. A book with a character that shares your name - Three Sisters, Three Queens 
25. A book published in 2018 - Educated 
26. A book recommended by a friend - Lilac Girls
27. A book recommended by a librarian - When Breath Becomes Air
28. A book written by an author under 30 - Eragon
29. A book written before 1920 - Wuthering Heights
30. A book that makes you cry - I'll Push You
31. An e-book - Make Your Bed 
32. A book with bad reviews - For Whom the Bell Tolls
33. A young-adults bestseller - The Fountains of Silence
34. A book set in Africa - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
35. A book by Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None 

36. A historical non-fiction book - The Lincoln Hypothesis 
37. A book that inspires you - Girl, Wash Your Face 
38. A short story - The Cask of Amontillado
39. A book that's been on the New York Times Bestseller List for more than 10 weeks - A Bend in the Road Bread and Wine
40. Political Book (fiction or non-fiction) - The Washington Hypothesis 
41. A book by a Scandinavian author - The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
42. A book with non-human characters - Because of Winn-Dixie
43. A book with a topic you're passionate about - The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way
44. A book set in the Middle East - The Kite Runner
45. A book already in your bookshelf - The Great Gatsby
46. A book that was once banned - Of Mice and Men
47. A book originally published in the year you were born - The Pelican Brief
48. A book about travel - The Road Home
49. A foreign book translated into English - The Alchemist 
50. A book with the letter "y" somewhere in the title - Be Happy
51. A book with food on the cover - Bread and Wine
52. A book about a current word issue - That We May Be One

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Present Over Perfect

Bridge to Terabithia

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Other Side of the Bridge

These is My Words

Two From Galilee

The Hundred Dresses

Freckle Juice

The Day the World Came to Town

As You Wish

Wonder

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The Witches

Frindle

Skipping Christmas

It was a fun year of reading. I learned a lot, had a ton of fun, and only came out with a few library fines ;)

This year I am going to focus on what I want to read and making my instagram a place where others can become educated, find resources, and gain or re-gain their love of reading. 

I am also planning on reading the books for my personal book club, the Everyday Reading book club, and the LDS Living book club. 

Best of Genre 2019

I categorized all my books from last year and chose the best one from each genre for those that don't love historical fiction/memoir that consumed my top 10 of the year. I made sure there wasn't any overlap either. Enjoy!

Classic
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Classics are just not my favorite genre in the world. But the movie follows this one almost exactly and that's a win in my book! Such a wild period of time and I'm still trying to figure out all the symbolism, but this is a pretty easy read as far as classics go.

Biography/Memoir
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Wow. After reading Louis Zamperini's story, you will be floored. He endured so much and it's amazing that he came out alive! This is a long one, but you will move right along because it's so interesting.

Self-Help
Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis

Short, easy reads that are helpful! Yes please! Rachel's got it goin' on for sure and I found myself taking multiple screenshots as I read of things I wanted to remember or apply into my life.

Children’s 
Holes by Louis Sachar

Hadn't read this since I was in elementary school, but when I read it to my class I quickly remembered how amazing this book is! It was one of my students' favorites and it's at the top of my list too!

Historical Fiction
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Not a light, easy read but fascinating as it follows the stories of three women during WWII, one in New York who is aiding relief through the French embassy, a doctor in Germany, and a Jew whose family gets sent to concentration camps. You will love how their stories all connect, but also ache for them and everything they had to go through.

Religious
Power to Become by David Bednar

The first book I read in 2019 and it was the perfect way to start off the year! Lots of great reminders of things you already know but could maybe implement a little better in your life. After all, who doesn't long to become something more?

Non-Fiction/History
Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist

Listening to this one was a complete delight! The author reads it and those are just the best audiobooks out there. The way this woman talks about food is out of this world. Her enthusiasm and the joy that it brings her makes you want to throw all the dinner parties and spend countless evenings in your kitchen creating magic. The lessons she's learned along the way are priceless.

General Fiction
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This was one of those hyped-up books this year and I still loved it. There was one little risque scene that I can't totally endorse, but other than that the author did an incredible job in her detail of nature, love, family relationships, and coming of age. So much was packed into this novel along with an intense mystery and I just had to find out what was going to happen!

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

I tried to read another one of his books several years ago and couldn't get through it before I had to return it to the library. I loved this one though! I think it would make an amazing movie. Brandon Sanderson is an excellent writer and for not a huge sci-fi lover, this was one great! I was slightly disappointed by the ending but the sequel just came out and I can't wait to start it!

Top Ten Books of 2019

I read a large variety of books this year and enjoyed mostly all of them! When I sat down and tried to narrow down my favorites out of the 66 that I read, I took a long look at them and realized that they were all the SAME!! So apparently I have a book type. HISTORICAL FICTION/MEMOIR. So if you are not into that genre, I am going to do a post tomorrow of the best book I read in every genre. But here are my overall favorites of the year! Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these and what you thought!

This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are by Melody Warnick
This was one of the first books I read this year and it was the perfect start to my reading! We had moved to our house 6 months earlier and it was totally new to me. Just outside of where I spent my college years, I love all of Melody's advice on how to make anywhere you are a wonderful place to be and in a sense "bloom where you're planted".

The Lincoln Hypothesis: A Modern-day Abolitionist Investigates the Possible Connection between Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and Abraham Lincoln by Timothy Ballard
Tim is my hero after reading this book! You might have heard about his work with Our Underground Railroad where he dedicates most of his time saving children from trafficking but in his spare time he has spent years researching this hypothesis and I am sold. His perspective on this is convincing and fascinating!

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba
Reading William's story made me want to go out there and do something. His smart brain and love of reading and learning led him to create electricity for his little town and provide a better life for them. He is amazing and has changed the world where he's from.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Honestly, I didn't even know the name behind Nike before I read this book. Phil has sure grit and will power. He didn't give up on his dream and there is something really powerful about that.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Among the hundreds of books that have been written about WWII, this is one of the top for me. It takes place in France which is not a place that is often associated with the Holocaust. Flipping between modern-day and the time of the Vel d'Hiv in Paris, this book is filled with mystery, loss, and uncovering a story from years before.

That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon's Perspective on Faith and Family by Tom Christofferson
The respect I have for this man is astounding. I LOVED reading his humble account of his life story and his journey to find his place in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints despite being gay. He has searched and prayed more than anyone I know to find out the path that was meant for him and he gives so much hope, faith, and understanding to everyone as we help our fellow brothers and sisters on this earth and treat all with love and kindness.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Bryan and I read this one together and we never wanted to put it down! Dan Brown has a way with words that made this story extremely intriguing. Our favorite thing was going to D.C. shortly after we finished and visiting all the places and things he referenced in his book.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
Another one of those stories that you never hear about at the time, but WOW! The people in Gander will always be remembered as some of the kindest, most giving people this world has ever seen. When 9/11 happened and the airspace in the U.S. was closed, hundreds of flights were re-routed to Gander. The people took the passengers in with open arms by putting their lives on hold for several days after that tragic event in U.S. history.

The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley
I'm not joking when I say this book changed my life. As a teacher, I was extremely passionate about the topic and am completely frustrated with the U.S. education system. Education reform is on the top of my dream list as I think about how different the future of our children could be if we did things a little bit differently. Not that anyone has it all figured out, but some other countries are doing amazing things to educate their youth in effective ways, as well as preparing teachers to be more professional, held in high esteem, and excel at their jobs.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Anyone know anything about Francisco Franco? Yeah, me neither. Spain did a really good job at hiding their dictatorship under Franco and this time in history, that was less than a 100 years ago, is unbelievable. Following a young photographer and his stay with his parents in Madrid during this time, you get to experience the tension and the unfortunate events that followed poor families through the eyes of those who were living it. Ruta has also done plenty of research and I loved her author's note at the end that described our responsibility to uncover history and how our world is better because of it. I can't wait to read more of her books.