2016 Reading Challenge: Week 21

This week, I finished up Lives in Ruins (for week 19).  This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be about.  I assumed from the tagline "Archeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble" that the book would cover interesting archealogical finds, things hidden in the everyday flotsam and jetsam that came to light in a dig.  Uh.  No.  This book is about archeologists in the 21st century; which is to say, this is mostly a book about being underfunded and having to do a lot of paperwork.  I "get" that today's archeologists are not Indiana Jones, all swashbuckling adventurers, but geez... there is SOME excitement in finding things undiscovered that tell you about a past society, or the lives of people who came before, isn't there?  Not really if this book is any indication.  I finished it.  That's all I've got to say about that.

Next up, I zipped through Entwined by Heather Dixon for week #1's topic: A book I meant to read in 2015, but didn't.  I had this one sitting on my Kindle, so I decided to read that this weekend.  This YA book is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairy tale.  I had a hard time getting into this one.  The first quarter or so has a lot of whining and teenage angst.  However, I stuck with it and was rewarded with a lovely, beautiful story by the end.  All the things you love about fairy tales - and I appreciated the fact that, while the eldest princess (our heroine, Azalea) comes into her own at the end of the book, it stays true to the (fairy-tale-ized) Victorian feel of the story in terms of social rules and etiquette.  A wonderful interwoven story with lots of dancing and magic, and the power of true love.  One of my favorites so far this year.

On tap for this week is The Biographer's Tale for week #2 (a book set on a different continent - both Africa and the Artic).

The 2016 List
1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't.  Entwined by Heather Dixon - DONE.
2. A book set in a different continent: The Biographer's Tale by AS Hyatt.
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (audio)
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015: Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr - DONE.
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name:  Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose - DONE.
6. The highest rated on your TBR
7. A book about books - Gutenberg's Apprentice - Alix Christie - DONE.
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:  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling - DONE.
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):  Cervantes Street by Jamie Manrique - DONE.
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels
17. A book with a beautiful cover: Bluebeard's Egg by Margaret Atwood
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list
19. A non-fiction book - Lives in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson - DONE.
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.):  The Three Monarchs by Anthony Horowitz - DONE.
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you
26. A book everyone is talking about - Knitlandia by Clara Parkes - DONE.
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion): Belle Cora - Richard Margulies - DONE.
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir: Jack London: An American Life by Earle Labor - DONE.
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. DONE.
32. A historical fiction book
33. The 16th book on your TBR
34. A book about mental illness: Adeline by Norah Vincent - DONE
35. An award winning book: River of Doubt by Candice Millard - DONE.
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation:  Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides - DONE.
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): The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure - DONE.
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:  The Cutting Season by Attica Locke - DONE.
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