Book Challenge Complete!

Photos of the individual books on Instragram Wonderwall360

I had finished most of the books for the challenge a few months ago. My last book of the challenge was Arabian nights, which was for the beautiful cover category. I have been reading it alongside other books as type of books can only read a few pages at once. At times got distracted and forgot to even read a few pages. This book was a book club surprise secret Santa present. I have loved having it on my bedside table for months and will keep it on my bookshelf. It feels such a luxurious book; it is cloth bound, hard back and has it’s own ribbon bookmark attached … I lose bookmarks in bed all the time so love this feature!

A book with a preposition in the title (e.g. in, on, through, under)

The seven husbands OF Evelyn Hugh by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This a story about a movie star Evelyn and her seven husbands from the late 1950s onwards . Themes include; changing position of women, LGBT and race. Evelyn is telling her story to a reporter that she has specifically chosen; one strand of the novel is leading to why this specific reporter was chosen. I enjoyed reading and would like to read another of Taylor Jenkins Read’s books.

It never happens IN the movies 🎥 🍿 by Holly Bourne. A YA book of trauma of teenage love and the realisation love is not like the films portray it!

A book set in Africa

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Centred around charatcters from Nigeria who immigrate to the US and the UK before returning to Nigeria. Discusses different perceptions of people according to their race in different places.

A book with a colour in the title

The BLACK Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin. A book about a survivor of a serial killer but is the killer the man convicted of the crime who is on death row? Intriguing read.

Cambridge BLUES by Alison Bruce.

I think could also fit Midnight Library by Matt Haig under here As midnight is a shade of blue.

Since thinking I was finished with the challenge bar the last book I have also read the Colour Purple by Alice Walker.

A book with a family member (e.g. brother)in the title

The seven HUSBANDS of Evelyn Hugh by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

A book with the name of a town or city in the title

CAMBRIDGE blues by Alison Bruce. A book about police investigating a murder in Cambridge UK (I believe there is also an area of Boston MA in the US that is called Cambridge). In particular the book centres around a young eager detective not necessarily always wanting to stick by rules to solve the murder.

A book with a school subject in the title (e.g. English, History…)

The GEOGRAPHY of Friendship by Sally Piper. This was about three women repeating a trek they had done about 20 years earlier . Gradually as they walk there are flashbacks revealing traumatic events of their previous trek. Given on later walk the women are walking all day together it is unbelievable how little conversation they seem to have. There is suspense of waiting to know what happened on the earlier walk albeit know how that all three survived therefore it was a pleasant enough read just not particularly rich layers.

A book about a journey

The Salt Path. A walking journey of 630miles! I put more detail about it in this Post. 

A book with a girl’s name in the title

The seven husbands of EVELYN Hugh by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

The Black Eyed SUSAN’s by Julia Heaberlin. A book about a survivor of a serial killer but is the killer the man convicted of the crime who is on death row? Intriguing read.

A book by a local author

I have read two books by Sheffield born Matt Haig: How to Stop Time and the Midnight Library.

A book with a beautiful cover

Arabian nights is a collection of stories told on the ‘1001 nights’. It is not 1001 stories as some stories were told over multiple nights. Stories are of different lengths. I think the basic plot of the stories could be really interesting. I started many stories full of optimism but, then lost interest as found the stories quite wordy and convoluted; unnecessarily long in my opinion. But it may be my imagination failed to engage enough. People with better imagination have taken the stories of Aladdin and Al Baba and the 49 thieves turned them into children’s books, films etc… I did love the ending; not just because it was the ending! At the end you return to the narrater who is introduced as the beginning of the book then does not feature until the end; where you get a glimpse into her life whilst telling the stories and find out her destiny. This beautiful book will be staying on my shelf and I can see myself dipping into read just a little bit in isolation; I think I was a bit over faced by the whole book together!

A book with a type of plant in the title

The BLACK EYED SUSAN’s which are flowers. by Julia Heaberlin. A book about a survivor of a serial killer but is the killer the man convicted of the crime who is on death row? Intriguing read.

A book with a body part in the title

The Black EYEd Susan’s by Julia Heaberlin. A book about a survivor of a serial killer but is the killer the man convicted of the crime who is on death row? Intriguing read.

Heartless by Sara Shepard. I least at this book in a charity shop because it includes heart in the title. I did not realise it was part of a series so missed some of the context! I’m not bothered about reading more of the series as it was very ‘teen girlie’ but as the book was part of a 3 for £1 deal so basically cost virtually nothing then I can not complain about the experience of reading it too much!