Fall into Reading Finale

It's done. Fall is done and so is the Fall Into Reading Challenge. Katrina, our hostess, is asking us to do a Reading Challenge Summary and link it so we can all see what we felt about what we read.

Well, I loved this challenge. While I am a voracious fiction reader, usually, I struggle with reading non-fiction. Unless it's a biography. So I made sure I had one on my list. My list was pretty simple, only 5 books, because I knew once I started reading everyone's lists, I would be adding to my own. And I was right. My list is now about 30 long. Along the way, I also got some books in from the library that were on hold so I had to read those because they need returning. So all in all I think I did pretty well, although for the last 3 weeks I just have not felt like reading at all. Just too much going on, I guess, and I didn't want to get too behind on all your nice posts. :v)

Katrina asked us this about our challenge:

The Best Book I Read This Fall: That had to be "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio - How my Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less" by Terry Ryan. You can read what I wrote here. Loved this book and loved the movie.

Book I could have lived without: I'd have to say it was "The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters" by Elisabeth Robinson. By page 30 I just could not get into it. It was written in a letter type style and after the 3rd "f" word, I just didn't not feel like continueing. While that may not bother some, it does me, so that was like the thing that just convinced me to not push through with the book.

Did I read more than I would have without the challenge: I'd have to say not fiction, but the challenge helped me to finish a book that was on my "to read" list forever. And that was "TeenAge Boys, Shaping the Man Inside" by Bill Beausay. All though I'm not quite done, probably about 3/4 done, that is great for me. Teaching books are always hard for me, and while I could not tell you every concept he was teaching, I did come away with some golden nuggets to help me out.

Best thing about the challenge: Definitely finding all the cool books to add to my "to read" list from everybody else's lists. I read every list on the link. Every one.

Did I read more than I would have without the challenge: Not in the fiction department. But I'm glad it focused me a bit and helped me get through one non-fiction that I've been trying to do for awhile.

Did I discover and enjoy a new author after reading someone's list? I discovered some books I hadn't read from some of my favorite authors like Angela Hunt, Karen Kinsbury, etc. I have not got to the new ones yet as I mentioned before, I had some come in at the library that bumped some of the new ones. But I will get to them, and you'll probably see some on the Spring Challenge.

Other thoughts & impressions: I like how the challenge introduced me to new books and authors of which I'll get to. And I like how the challenged focused me in the non-fiction catagory.