Book Challenge 2015 Plans/Suggestions Part I

I've had a few people ask me what I'm reading for the challenge and if I had any suggestions for titles.  I've got several ideas for myself and plenty of suggestions!  I'll list the first 25 prompts/challenges here and then within the next few days do the other 25.

I've also had a couple people ask about the Goodreads group.  You can find that group here:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/152458-ultimate-2015-reading-challenge

1.  A book with more than 500 pages.
My choice:  Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

You could also consider: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin

2.  A classic romance.
I honestly haven't decided what I will ultimately read for this challenge, however possibilities include:  Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

3.  A book that became a movie.
My choice:  If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

You could also consider:  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn; Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card; The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks; The Pelican Brief by John Grisham; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien; The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien; Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck; 1984 by George Orwell; The War of the Worlds by HG Wells; Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand -- the list is endless!

4.  A book published this year.
As we are only in the second day of 2015, I'm going to wait and see what comes along this year before making a decision.

5.  A book with a number in the title.
My choice:  13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

You could also consider:  Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut; 1984 by George Orwell

6.  A book written by someone under 30
I haven't really made a decision on this one.  I've heard a lot of people saying they are going to read I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. 

7.  A book with non-human characters.
My choice:  Animal Farm by George Orwell

You could also consider:  Any vampire book (just look in the section once known as YA); any of the Star Trek or Star Wars series; any of the novels based on Gears of War; any of the Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance series; any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien.

8.  A funny book.
I haven't made a decision on this one either.  I typically don't read humor.  However I do have a book on my nightstand right now that's called something along the lines of How to Tell If Your Cat Is Trying to Kill You.  Perhaps I'll use that.

9.  A book by a female author.
There is such a huge selection, I'm not really worried about even trying to make a decision on this one. 

10.  A mystery or thriller.
My choice:  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

You could also consider:  Any Agatha Christie book.  This is not a genre I typically read, so I don't have many suggestions here.

11.  A book with a one word title.
I haven't even put any real thought into this one.  I'm sure there are plenty to choose from.

12.  A book of short stories.
My choice:  A book of Edgar Allen Poe stories.

You could also consider:  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Joyce Carol Oates

13.  A book set in a different country.
My choice:  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

You could also consider:  The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais; The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (one of my favorites!)

14.  A nonfiction book.
There are so many choices here that I haven't even thought about this one.  41 by Former President George W. Bush is currently coming to mind, but I may use that for another category.

15.  A popular author's first book.
My choice:  Looking for Alaska by John Green

16.  A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet.
I have no author that I "love".  I base everything on the book and don't really care who wrote it.  This is going to be a hard one for me.  I may modify this to be a book from an author who's book I love.  In which case Khaled Hosseini is a strong contender because I truly love The Kite Runner.

17.  A book a friend recommended.
My choice:  The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

18:  A Pulitzer Prize winning book.
I haven't really considered this category.  There are many books that would meet this requirement, so I'm not especially worried about making a choice this minute.

19.  A book based on a true story.
My choice:  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

20.  A book at the bottom of your to read list.
I'd have to look at my list on Goodreads to see what is at the bottom.

21.  A book your mom loves.
My choice:  Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

My other choice is any of the Twilight books and those of you that know me, know hell is going to freeze over before I read one of those.

22.  A book that scares you.
My choice:  The Strain by Guillermo del Toro

I started The Strain and got about a third of the way through and had to stop.  That is one creepy book.

23.  A book more than 100 years old.
My choice:  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

You could also consider:  Any of Charles Dickens books; any of the Bronte sisters' books

24.  A book based entirely on its cover.
This will require a trip to the bookstore.

25.  A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't. 
My choice:  Lord of the Flies by William Golding

New Year, New Book Challenge 2015

Cruising around Tumblr a few days ago, I found the ultimate year long book challenge.  This challenge is perfect!  What I really like about it is that it will push me beyond the normal books I read.  I'm sure I'm going to find some really great books that I wouldn't have considered otherwise.

Another thing that is great about this challenge is that it's really flexible.  You can read a single book for each challenge and read 52 books in a year.  However, if you're like me and just don't have time to complete a single book a week, you can use one book to satisfy several categories.  Either way works and either way will still introduce you to new genres.

A few of my friends on Facebook and Tumblr are also doing the challenge and I found a Goodreads group dedicated to this challenge.  I've gotten a lot of titles from that group for the categories that I wasn't sure about.

So, here's the challenge.  If you decide to participate, drop me a quick message.  I'd love to hear what you decide to read and hear about your progress.