2016 Reading Challenge: Week Six

This week, I finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) for topic week #29 - an author who writes under more than one name.  This is a complete departure from Harry Potter.  It's most definitely not young adult type fiction - this falls firmly in adult mystery/thriller writing, but a bang-up job in this genre as well.  I could not put this one down.  The characters are well-rounded (but not necessarily loveable or engaging), and the plot was multi-faceted and layered.  The main character, Cormoran Strike, is the love child of a 1960s musician and a groupie, who is just back from a tour to Afghanistan as an MP, and is now back in civilian life with bad nightmares and a prosthetic leg.  He's in the midst of a nasty break-up and living in ths back room of his office.  He's hired by the brother of a famous model who is found dead in the street in front of her posh apartment to investigate - was it suicide or murder or an accident?   If you like this genre of book, I'm wagering you'll really like this one.  (And it's the first of a series - Galbraith/Rowling's got more in store for this character apparently!)

I started topic week #31: A YA fiction book - The Iron Thorn.  I've had this on the radar for a while - it's a fantasy/steampunk themed book.  Again, I am apparently clueless about what would constitute an appropriate "young adult" theme for a book - since, like many I've read in the last year, there is a gloom and doom plague-oriented theme running throughout.  I almost put this one down because of it, but I have plowed on and it appears to be less of a plot issue in this one than in some others I've read and I'm hoping that trend continues.  I'm just under halfway through this (it's a fairly quick read), so I'm sure I'll have this one finished up before I hit the road for Stitches West.

I'm going to try to sneak in a Monday Reading Challenge blog post next Monday before I take off on Tuesday, but then will have a missing week when I'm still on the road where I'll have to double up weeks Seven and Eight when I'm back. OTOH, I'm planning on selecting a book (maybe 2) to listen to while I drive a gazillion miles to California, so I may jump ahead a bit because of it.


The 2016 List
1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't
2. A book set in a different continent
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated)
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name
6. The highest rated on your TBR
7. A book about books
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages:  Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence - DONE
9. A book that was mentioned in another book
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge
12. A childhood classic
13. Reader’s Choice:  Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell - DONE.
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) What She Left - T.R. Richmond - DONE.
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago)
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels
17. A book with a beautiful cover
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list
19. A non-fiction book
20. A book with a first name in the title
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page
22. The first book in a new to you series
23. The next book in a series you are reading
24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.)
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you
26. A book everyone is talking about
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion)
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name:  The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) - DONE.
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own
31. A work of young adult fiction:  The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge.
32. A historical fiction book
33. The 16th book on your TBR
34. A book about mental illness
35. An award winning book
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read
38. A book about an anti hero:  Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace - DONE.
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list
40. A novella from your favorite genre
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction)
42. A top 100 fantasy novel
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have
46. A crime story
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title
48. A dystopia
49. A book with a great opening line
50. A book originally written in a language other than English:  Tove Jansson's The Summer Book - DONE.
51. A short story from a well-known author
52. A book published in 2016