July 20-26, 2020

Ariel Bissett created the “BookTubeAThon” readathon in 2013. It has grown from there and is now known as “The Reading Rush.” It is a week-long readathon with some challenges and giveaways if you participate online. I’m always up for reading and challenges!

The Reading Challenges

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1. Read a book with a cover that matches the color of your birth stone.
2. Read a book that starts with the word “the”.
3. Read a book that inspired a movie you’ve already seen.
4. Read the first book you touch.
5. Read a book completely outside of your house.
   • Any challenge can be interpreted creatively to fit the needs of the reader. For this one, they issued a statement about this challenge in the context of a worldwide pandemic.
6. Read a book in a genre that you’ve already wanted to read more of.
7. Read a book that takes place on a different continent than where you live.

My Lineup

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1. “88 Days to Kandahar” by Robert L. Grenier
   • This one fulfills #4. I reached over to my unread bookshelf with my eyes closed and this is the book I picked.
   • One line synopsis: “The improbable true story of America’s first war in Afghanistan.”
2. “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw
   • This one fulfills #3 and #6. I always want to read more classics, but find it hard to select them when I’m looking for my next read.
   • This book inspired the 1999 movie, “She’s All That.”
   • One line synopsis: “All of them deal with a man creating a beautiful and perfect woman out of something imperfect, and then falling in love with her.”
   • This looks to be the shortest book at 98 pages, so it’s likely the one I will use for #5. I’ll try to read this one outside vs. modifying the challenge. I may have to buy a comfy outdoor chair….
3. “The Memory Key” by Liana Liu
   • This one fulfills #2.
   • One line synopsis: “Remember everything. Forgive nothing.”
4. “War Girls” by Tochi Onyebuchi
   • This one fulfills #1 and #7. My birthstone is an aqua/turquoise color. This book takes place in a future Nigeria.
   • One line synopsis: “In a post-apocalyptic Nigeria plagued by violence and political unrest, two sisters dream of peace, hope, and a future together.”

Other Fun Activities

Read-In on Wednesday, July 22, at 6 pm.

Reading Rush Book Club: “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid. I’ve already read this book, but I might join the book discussion live show on July 25 at 2 pm EDT. For the book club, they will be using hashtags #rrsuchafunage and #rrbookclub on social media.