Book talk: Books I read for a book challenge

A few years ago I came across a book challenge and decided to take it up. It was an open challenge, meaning that the reader could decide what books to read, but the books had to cover the following 12 categories:

• A book published in the year of the challenge
• A book you can finish in a day
• A book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller
• A book chosen to you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child or BFF
• A  book you should have read at school
• A book published before you were born
• A book that was banned at one point
• A book you had previously abandoned
• A book you own but never read
• A book that intimidates you
• A book you’ve already read at least once
• A book you’ve been meaning to read

The idea was to read twelve books throughout the year or a book a month. It seemed doable but, in the end, I only managed to complete seven out of the twelve categories in the challenge because some books took me longer than expected to read. Here are the categories I completed together with the book I chose for each one:

• A book published in the year of the challenge: Karolina’s Twins by Ronald H. Balson

This is a novel about the Holocaust, about two friends coming of age in a dangerous time, bearing secrets that only they could share. The protagonist of this story is Lena Woodward, originally from Poland, who immigrated to Chicago after World War II. Now in her seventies, Lena wants to keep the promise she made to her friend Karolina: to find her twins.

“The heart regenerates. It always manufactures another piece to give away.”

• A book you can finish in a day: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A classic of the last century, I am sure that this little book needs no introduction. Beloved by children and adults alike, it recounts the story of a downed pilot in the Sahara desert, frantically trying to repair his plane and stay alive. He is interrupted in his endeavours by a little prince who describes his journey from planet to planet, each world inhabited by a single adult.

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”

• A book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child or BFF: W. Axl Rose – The Unauthorised Biography by Mick Wall

Described as “an explosive biography of one of rock`s biggest living legends”, I would only recommend this book to hard rock fans. My husband chose this book for me because he knows my preferences in music and lead singers. However, I do not think that any of my regular readers will enjoy it so I’m moving on to the next book.

• A book published before you were born:  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I am sure that everyone is familiar with this famous novel. I had been meaning to read it for a long time but, having seen around 3 different movie adaptations over the years,  the time never seemed right until this book challenge came along. It took me a few months to finish this classic – perhaps knowing what was going to happen did not help to keep me as interested as I should have been. In reality, there is more to this book than Jane’s love for her brooding and domineering employer, Mr. Rochester. If read carefully, you will realise that this book is ahead of its time as Jane is presented as a fiercely independent young woman who wants to make her own way in the world without relying on a husband. Here is what Virginia Wool had to say about this book: "At the end we are steeped through and through with the genius, the vehemence, the indignation of Charlotte Brontë."

“I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience.”

• A book that was banned at some point: Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

This book is on countless ‘books you should read before you die’ and ‘greatest books of all time’ lists. Unfortunately, I hated it. Maybe I missed the point or I am not intellectual enough but the surrealism, lack of plot and unlovable characters just didn’t do anything for me. There were flashes of literary genius here and there, but I just didn’t get what the fuss was about. Maybe it’s because the book stretched the boundaries of what was acceptable to the limits at the time it was first published in Paris in 1934, but each time I picked up this book it felt like a chore and there is usually nothing I like to do more than read. This book was one of the reasons I did not finish the challenge on time. I wasted too  much time sloughing through it.

“At the bottom of every frozen heart there is a drop or two of love―just enough to feed the birds.”

• A book you previously abandoned: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

This book is about ordinary people living under very extraordinary circumstances, in this case, the Prague Spring of 1968. It was a time of social upheaval when a wrong word or an unacceptable ideology was enough to turn a surgeon into a window cleaner. There is a strong philosophical theme running through the entire book that can be quite heavy at times. The characters in the book are full of all sorts of flaws but it makes them real, which in turn brings to life the horrors of the Cold War that are so easy to forget. This book will make you question humanity long after you have turned the last page.

“Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost.”

• A book you’ve already read at least once: Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier

I think I was around 15 years old when I first read this book and I loved it so much that I’ve read it at least 6 or 7 times more. At one point, I was reading it every summer. Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite writers and this book, although not as famous as Rebecca, is my personal favourite. It is a historical romance; a swash-buckling adventure; it’s just a little bit scandalous and, like many of du Maurier’s novels, it takes place in gorgeous Cornwall. Yes, the main character has many flaws. Yes, the plot requires a huge stretch of the imagination to be believable but it’s a work of fiction and that’s why books are special, because they can transport us to places and worlds that are beyond the ordinary. We all need to get lost in imaginary worlds sometimes and this book helps me to do that perfectly.

“You understand now... how simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten.”

Generally, the purpose of a book challenge is to get you out of your comfort zone and to read books that otherwise you would probably never have read. At least, that is what this book challenge did for me – it broadened my horizons and made me realise that, in spite of all the hype that some books generate, every reader will have his or her own personal preferences, whatever the critics may say. So pick up those books and read and read and read.

I would appreciate it if you would share any interesting books you have been reading lately in the ‘Comments’ section. I am always looking for new books to add to my reading list.