Bout of Books 8.0 - The Results

Bout of Books 8.0 is now complete! I didn't reach all my goals, but feel like I did a decent job considering all my distractions. Here is a re-cap of my first experience with Bout of Books:


My Goals

• To finish reading the books on my Summer Reading List.
• To make some progress toward reading all of Charles' Dickens novels before I'm 30.
• To give my normal reading binge a purpose!

My Results

• 3 complete books read, including two off my Summer Reading List.
• 134 pages of Martin Chuzzlewit read toward my Dickens goal.
• 1,062 total pages read this week.

What I Read

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein was a wonderful read. It is historical fiction, set during WWII in England and France. It is beautiful and heartbreaking.

The Roving Tree by Elsie Augustave was an interesting read about a Haitian girl, brought up in America who later journeys to Africa in an attempt to find her true place in the world. The story includes Haitian and African traditional beliefs in a modern context.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is the story of a teenage boy who receives thirteen cassette tapes created by a girl who recently committed suicide. The tapes explain her thirteen reasons why she chose to end her life. I was somewhat skeptical of the message this book would send until the end when the narrator makes it clear that everything that happened was a choice. An interesting read to get you thinking about the dynamics of relationships, high school drama & angst, and the choices we make.