RC’16: A Young Adult Bestseller

Book: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
First published: 2007

So, because I started watching the Netflix series Shadowhunters, which is based on The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, my housemates insisted that I read the books – which, according to them, are much better than the TV show. It just so happens that City of Bones – TMI Book 1 – is a YA bestseller, so I was like, ‘Huh, I can read this for the challenge’ and gave in.

Summary: Clary Fray bumps into a group of Shadowhunters at a club, and when her mother goes missing, ends up falling into their world. As she tries to save her mother, she finds and loses friends, love and family.

RC’16: A Book You Haven’t Read Since Primary School

Book: The Suitcase Kid
Author: Jacqueline Wilson
First published: 1992

I changed this challenge slightly – it was a book you haven’t read since high school, but since it’s only almost 4 years since I left high school, I thought I’d go for primary instead. Although I do want to read Holes again, because I haven’t read that since Year 8. Anyway, I read a lot of Jacqueline Wilson books when I was younger, and this wasn’t technically a book that I read for school, but I did read it during my primary school years.

Summary: When Andrea’s parents get divorced, she decides she wants to spend one week with her Mum and one week with her Dad – although all she really wants is to be back at home with both her parents and her Sylvanian rabbit, Radish.

RC’16: A Book About A Culture You’re Unfamiliar With

Book: Gabi, A Girl In Pieces
Author: Isabel Quintero
First published: 2014

I wasn’t sure about this one – I think I found it through a list of more diverse books (in terms of author/character) on Tumblr once, and added it to my Goodreads to-read shelf. Then when I was looking for books for this Reading Challenge, I thought, eh, why not?

Summary: Gabi Hernandez is in her final year at high school, and she has to deal with everything life throws at her – friends’ pregnancies, comings out, her dad’s drug addiction, and finding a boyfriend.

RC’16: A Book That’s Becoming A Movie This Year

Book: The Girl On The Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
First published: 2015

I guess this could count as the thriller challenge, but like I said before, I don’t want to use the same book for multiple challenges. The Girl On The Train is being made into a film starring Emily Blunt and some other people that I can’t remember. Here‘s the IMDb link if you’re interested.

Summary: Rachel Watson is an alcoholic who’s lost her job, but she still gets on the same commuter train every morning and evening. When the train stops at a signalling box, she can look out at the house backing onto the train line where she used to live with her ex, Tom. He still lives there with his new wife and their baby. A couple of doors down are ‘Jason’ and ‘Jess’, a couple who Rachel projects her fantasies onto – really Megan and Scott. One morning Rachel sees Megan kissing another guy, and then Megan goes missing. Rachel decides to help investigate what happened to her.

RC’16: A Book From Richard & Judy’s Book Club

Book: Cloud Atlas
Author: David Mitchell
First published: 2004

So in the original challenge, it was a book from Oprah’s Book Club, but I live in the UK and am more familiar with Richard and Judy. (Plus, I also had Cloud Atlas to hand!)

Summary: The novel is split into different parts with six narrators. The first is Adam Ewing, journaling from a mid-19th century New Zealand island. Second comes Robert Frobisher, letter writing in 1930s Belgium. The third PoV belongs to 1970s journalist Luisa Rey. Then we travel to England, in the noughties, with 60-something publisher Timothy Cavendish. Next comes Sonmi-451’s account of dystopian Korea. Finally we get to post-apocalyptic Hawaii and Zachry’s story. Then we go travel through the narrators again, in reverse order, learning more of the secrets of each and realising things are not quite as they seemed.

RC’16: A Book Translated Into English

Book: The Little Prince
Author: Antoine De Saint-Exupéry (translated from French by Irene Testot-Ferry)
First published: 1943

A confession: I have read The Little Prince before. I was lent it in high school by one of my teachers, and I absolutely loved it. However, books I have to hand that have been translated are few and far between, so I thought I’d start off with this one so I can be on my way.

As a side note, this book also fulfills some other challenges, such as ‘books under 150 pages’ and ‘books you read in high school’. However, I’m going to try and use a different book for each challenge.

Summary: A pilot crashes in the Sahara desert and while fixing his plane comes across the Little Prince, a traveller from a planet far away who has made a journey across the galaxy.