It’s that time of year when the reading challenge wrap-up posts begin. I’m starting with the What’s in a Name challenge.
The challenge was simple – read one book that fits each of the six ‘categories’ –
- A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title – A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
- A book with something you’d find in your kitchen in the title – The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman; My Life on a Plate by India Knight
- A book with a party or celebration in the title – Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close; The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke; The Easter Parade by Richard Yates
- A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title – Heartburn by Nora Ephron
- A book with an emotion in the title – Someone I Loved by Anna Gavalda; Love All by Callie Wright; The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman; Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
- A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title – Nowhere Yet by Edward Cozza
The categories I found the easiest were Emotions and Party/Celebrations. In contrast, Fire almost killed me until I remembered Heartburn was on my reading list.
The books I enjoyed the most out of those I read for this challenge – The Easter Parade, Heartburn and Love All.
The book I enjoyed least? Nowhere Yet (in fact, it has the dubious honour of being the worst book I read this year).
Best discovery by participating in this challenge was Goodman’s The Cookbook Collector – the style was different to what I had anticipated. The debut, The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., is a book that I still think about and one that I’m trying to get on my book group’s reading list for next year – I reckon a room full of (mostly) single women might have some thoughts on the main character.
This was a fun reading challenge and I’m looking forward to the categories for next year.