Adventures Through Awkwardness | Male Narrators!

middle grade challengeAdventures Through Awkwardness: Male Narrators

We are plugging along nicely with our challenge, friends! I can’t believe we’re at the HALFWAY POINT already!! WHAT?! Time is flying! I hope you’re all have so much fun reading all the middle grades!

For this month, we’re highlighting male narrators. Plus, we’ve got a pretty sweet giveaway, courtesy of debut middle grade author, Rebecca Petruck! One lucky participant in this month’s challenge will win a finished copy of STEERING TOWARD NORMAL plus some AWESOME swag! YAY!

You guys know the drill: You can read any middle grade book with a male narrator during this month. Links to your reviews can be posted in the comments or in the giveaway widget. If you want to review two or three, that’s awesome! Extra chances for you to win! If you want to read a book that came out 20 years ago? Super! Get after it. In the meantime, check out how great STEERING TOWARD NORMAL sounds. Don’t tease me with 4-H.
Book cover Steering Toward Normal Rebecca Petruck

Eighth grade is set to be a good year for Diggy Lawson: He’s chosen a great calf to compete at the Minnesota State Fair, he’ll see a lot of July, the girl he secretly likes at 4-H, and he and his dad Pop have big plans for April Fool’s Day. But everything changes when classmate Wayne Graf’s mother dies, which brings to light the secret that Pop is Wayne’s father, too. Suddenly, Diggy has a half brother, who moves in and messes up his life. Wayne threatens Diggy’s chances at the State Fair, horns in on his girl, and rattles his easy relationship with Pop.
What started out great quickly turns into the worst year ever, filled with jealousy, fighting, and several incidents involving cow poop. But as the boys care for their steers, pull pranks, and watch too many B movies, they learn what it means to be brothers and change their concept of family as they slowly steer toward a new kind of normal.

Enter to win this awesome book and some extra goodies!

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Happy Reading, friends!!

Adventures Through Awkwardness: 2014 Middle Grade Challenge!

middle grade challenge

Adventures Through Awkwardness: 2014 Middle Grade Challenge

As you all may or may not know, I think middle grade is just the bees knees. So does my girl Lisa. There’s just something so endearing and awesome about younger kids going on adventures and living through growing pains and beginning to learn how to make their own mark on the world. Those little whipper snappers just make me laugh and cry and cheer so hard!

So, because Lisa and I love all things middle grade so much, we’ve decided to put together this super challenge for 2014! We’d be beyond jazzed if you joined us. The rules are simple, and we’ve got some fun twists on typical reading challenges, so without further ado, here’s standard operating procedure for Adventures Through Awkwardness: 2014 Middle Grade Challenge!

(PS. Grab that cute little button over there if you want to join in!)

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The Gauntlet: 2013 Challenges

BOOM. It’s On.

It’s time to set the stage, friends. I know that reading is supposed to be leisurely, but who doesn’t need a little carrot to dangle in front of their eyes every now and then, amirite? I wasn’t able to get as much reading done in 2012 as I would have liked, so I’m taking it down a notch for 2013. Just giving myself a little breathing room, friends. Last year my reading eyes were bigger than my reading stomach. So, without further ado…THE CHALLENGES.

2013 Reading Challenge

2013 Reading Challenge
Amy has read 1 book toward her goal of 100 books.
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Goodreads

Debut Author Challenge. Hosted by Hobbitsies

I’m all about this one, friends. Love the debuts. I’m going to say that I’ll read 2 debuts per month, so that gives me 24. Maybe it’ll be more than that when all is said and done. For now, here are the 12 debuts I’m most excited to read this year

The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff

The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Prophecy by Ellen Oh

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

The Reece Malcom List by Amy Spalding

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

2013 TBR Challenge. Hosted by Bookish Evie

YES TO THIS CHALLENGE. I need to read more of the books I own. It’s ridiculous. I’ll be starting this challenge at the “A Friendly Hug” level, which is 11-20 books already on my shelves. I can do this SO EASILY friends I can’t even. Here’s my first 11.

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Shine by Jeri Smith Ready

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Twenty Boy Summer & Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

Kat Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

YA Audiobook Challenge. Hosted by A Book and A Latte

Guys, I am a new audiophile. I’m SO EXCITED to be participating in this challenge so that I can really get into it. I’ll be participating in this challenge at the “Easy Listening” level, which is 12 YA audiobooks. WOO HOO! Here’s some that I can’t wait to try:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Curse Workers series by Holly Black

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

YA Contemporary Challenge. Hosted by Katie’s Book Blog

I’m rocking this bad boy at level 3–15 YA contemps or more. I can’t even handle the list I have for this challenge right now. I’ll be updating it on my Challenges page as the year goes on. Here’s a few that I’m exited for right now:

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Golden by Jessi Kirby

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

This Is What Happy Looks Like by April E. Smith

Shadowlands by Kate Brian