Summer Reading Challenge: Beach Reads!

Summer "Beach Read" Challenge

Here I go again.  Starting another reading challenge...and this one so late in the game, too.  The Summer "Beach Read" challenge. Ah, but I must confess that I am sort of cheating because I have already read enough books since July 1st to nearly qualify me to be a SHARK!  (And, btw, I do remember being in swim lessons and wishing, wishing, wishing that I would pass my test so that I could get up to the shark level!)

I suggest that you pop on over to A Fanatics Book Blog for the details and to sign up on this challenge if you too want to jump in the pool so late in the summer and try to win your shark award.  Here are the details in a nutshell: Read books that would qualify as any book you'd be willing to read while sitting at the beach. Since I was just at the Oregon Coast earlier this week and I sat reading Olive Kitteridge, I think that tells you that I think just about anything would qualify as beach reading, maybe with the possible exception of some big, heavy book that might get wrecked if it was dropped in the sand.  Ha!  Just like swimming lessons of old you will rise to a higher fish order the more books you read and prizes will be awarded.  Cool huh?  Now let me get out my fingers and toes to see how many books I've read already that would qualify....

P.S. Reading books at the Washington Coast would often be a negative experience since it is often overcast, windy, and cold.  One would have to huddle behind some wind barrier and wear goggles to keep the sand out of the eyes.  But laying on the "beach" at Lake Chelan, now that's more like it!

August 30, 2010 Update:  I completed the challenge.  And yes, I am swimming with sharks!  I've read 31 books this summer and may finish a few more before the end of the Labor Day Week-end.  Here it the list of books that I placed on the Beach Reading Challenge list:

18. The Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

17. The Prince of Mist- Carlos Ruiz Zafon

16. The Ask and the Answer – Patrick Ness

15. Toads and Diamonds- Heather Tomlinson

14. Olive Kitteridge – Elizabeth Strout

13. The Sky is Everywhere -Jandy Nelson

12. Ship Breaker - Paolo Bacigalupi

11. Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes-Chris Crutcher

10.  Numbers- Rachel Ward

9. Deadline- Chris Crutcher

8. Mrs. Mike-Benedict & Nancy Freedman

7. Last Summer of the Death Warriors-Francisco Stork

6. Acceleration- Graham McNamee

5. The Knife of Never Letting Go- Patrick Ness

4. Wake- Lisa McMann

3. The Body Finder- Kimberly Derting

2. Purple Heart- Patricia McCormick

1. The Summer of My German Soldier- Bette Greene