Book Awards Reading List

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
3. Citizen Vince by Jess Walter
4. The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
5. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
6. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
7. Seeker by Jack McDevitt
8. The March by E.L. Doctorow
9. High Country: A Novel by Willard Wyman
10. Empire Falls by Richard Russo

Random Reads

Ok to give you a little background. I am not a reader. That would be my daughter of eight years who at this point in her life has read more books than her dad. However, I created that reader. You see her pediatrician asked us when she was a month old how often we read to her. HUH? I was a little confused! Maybe he had read her chart wrong and thought she was a year old or something. Well, he explained that it was very important that we start reading to her early. Now, I’ve always believed that if you can read, nothing is impossible to do. So I took him at his word and read to her every night. That was, until she turned five and started reading by herself. She waited because she didn’t want me to feel left out. She had been reading ahead of me in those books most of the time. That girl is a voracious reader now. We owe that man a big thank you. And the best parenting advice I can give you. Read to them now.

Anyway, I decided that it was important for her to see me reading, and honestly I’d missed reading. I mean how many guys can say they read Little House on the Prairie at 50! So, I set a goal I’d read 100 books in one year. It was a pretty lofty goal for someone who is a slow reader and doesn’t read all that much. I usually read about two or three books a year. So a hundred was ambitious. I was going to start officially on August 1, 2008. But decided what the heck and started in the middle of July. I’ve since decided that if I make it to 50 I’ll be pleased. Remember I’m a slow reader. My wife hasn’t decided to do a challenge, but she is reading as well. I asked my daughter if she wanted to read 100 books in a year and said that it was too many. She’s out read us both so far and will easily read a hundred books. She reads about a book a day, and reads two grade levels above her grade.

So the challenge is a bit more than just finding books you like or within your comfort zone. My wife suggested we read what we like but also challenge ourselves by reading things we wouldn’t normally read. So, I’ve got to say I like mysteries and science fiction, but you’ll see very little Sci-Fi since it’s my favorite. So far I think you’ll see a mix of books. I’m considering a few book challenges on line. I may even write a review or two. Or at least list my favorite book of the month. So join us as we read.