Literary Ladies Book Club

Happy Friday all! I have some exciting news to share – I am officially the new co-host of Kay & Kari’s book club! The new name for the book club is Literary Ladies because we are ladies and we like literature… and because alliteration.

Kay and Kari are two of my favourite bloggers and if you aren’t following them already, you need to be. I’m super excited to be a part of their book club and I really hope you will join us a time or two! You don’t need to be a lady, or a blogger – you just have to want to read a book and talk about it!

On the first Tuesday of the month, we will review the book we've selected, host a link-up for your reviews and announce the book for the following month. There will also be discussion boards up on Goodreads. We will also be doing twitter chats using the hashtag #literaryladies on the last Thursday of the month if you’d like to join. Don’t worry, we will remind you of the exact dates each month!

Oh and another announcement!

The three K’s (no?) decided to launch a summer reading challenge! We know they are not everyone’s cup of tea but we enjoy them and thought that we could create one that was more fun and less stressful / difficult.

• The Literary Ladies book challenge will run from June 21, 2015 until September 21, 2015. Only books read during that time will count. 
• There are 10 categories to be completed. Once you complete all 10 reading all of the books necessary to satisfy each category, you have won.
• You are allowed 2 rereads for this challenge in order to be considered for the prizes. 
• Switching around books from your preliminary list is fine, but you can only use a book once to satisfy one category.
• All books must be 200 pages in length. If you are listening to your books, be sure that it complies accordingly. 
• The first 3 categories are mandatory. But if you do not like one or two of the other 7 categories, you can skip it and replace it with one of our book club picks! You can do this twice.

We will be announcing July’s book (our first book!) on the 17^th of June. From then on, we will be announcing the next book in the recap post for the previous book.

The first 3 winners will receive a prize. Winners must prove they have successfully completed the challenge by sharing a brief commentary of each book on either a blog post or the google forms document we will provide. We might even quiz you to make sure you are telling the truth. Wink.

The prizes are as follows:

1^st winner: $50 amazon gift card + small surprise

2^nd winner: $25 amazon gift card + small surprise

3^rd winner: $15 amazon gift card + small surprise

Wildcard winner: we understand not everyone can – or wants to – read 10 books in a month, so as long as you finish within the 3 months (and you are not one of the other 3 winners) you will have the chance to win an extra prize. It’s a surprise!

International participants are welcome, and we can alter the gift cards to suit what’s best for you if Amazon doesn’t work.

Alright, here are the categories:

1. A YA book - Mandatory

If YA isn’t your jam, don’t be alarmed – this is such a huge genre you are sure to find something that will interest you! Suggestions: We Were Liars, the Anna & the French Kiss series, The Lunar Chronicles, anything by Gayle Forman, the Selection series, heck technically The Book Thief is YA.

2. Non US Author - Mandatory

Suggestions: Khaled Hosseini, Anne Frank, Michael Ondaatje (author of The English Patient), Bessie Head, Liane Moriarty, JoJo Moyes,Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Buchi Emecheta, Keri Hulme, Edwidge Danticat, Ha Jin or Kamala Markandaya.

3. A book that was recommended by a blogger (or instagrammer / you-tuber / goodreads-er) - Mandatory

Great blogs for recommendations: Steph's, Jana's, (heck, just check out their link up! So many great bloggers and their recommendations) Jamie's, Lisa's, Kristin's, Erin's.. then of course, there is me (check out what I've read), Kay & Kari. No rereads for this category.

4. A book that has been on your TBR list for a year or more

5. A book with a kickass female character

What makes a kickass female? You decide! It could be Lizzie Bennet, Cinder, Jane Eyre, Anne Boleyn… Harry Potter (Hermione), The Help, The Hunger Games, The Millennium Series, the possibilities are endless. Because women are badass.

6. A book that is or will be a movie (or TV show)

Suggestions: The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight, Outlander, Divergent, The Help, The Lovely Bones, Pride and Prejudice, City of Bones, The Martian, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Fault in our Stars, Water for Elephants, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Book Thief, The Princess Bride or Something Borrowed.

7. A book written by a comedian or celebrity – or even a memoir if neither of those are your jam.

Suggestions: Yes Please, Bossypants, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Seriously I'm Kidding, Happy Accidents, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, It's A Long Story, The Book of Joan, Going Off Script, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, or My Story.

8. A book with a one word title.

Suggestions: Persuasion, Room, Neverwhere,Watchmen, Wonder, Landline, Overseas, Rebecca, Mercy or Rush.  

9. A suspenseful book – a mystery, a thriller, a book about revenge!

Suggestions: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Dark Places, In the Woods, The Girl on the Train, You or Horns. 

10. A book about Summer, with Summer in the title, or in any way related to Summer because this is a Summer challenge!

Suggestions: The Summer I Turned Pretty, A Hundred Summers, A Midsummer Night's Dream, That Summer, Summer Sisters, Twenty Boy Summer, The Last Summer,  Summer People, One Summer, Summerland, My Life Next Door, Since You've Been Gone,  The Last Song or We Were Liars.

We will be posting our preliminary lists on the 21st of June, and if you would like to participate you will be able to link up your own post as well. If you are not a blogger, or do not wish to do a post then we will have a google forms document to complete.

On the 21st of July & August we will be doing a 'check in' post where you can link up. You can also instagram with the hashtag #literaryladies if you do not wish to do that. Our final post will be the 21st of September and will be a link up or google forms document if you are not a blogger. 

Apparently I am incapable of using non-Disney reading related gifs.. so, sorry about that. We really hope you will join us for the book club or the summer challenge! Have a good weekend everyone - oh, and a good two weeks, see you on the other side! Don't forget I'll be overgramming my holiday!