The second annual Blackmoore Library Reading Challenge began last week with book selections and sign-ups posted in front of the library entrance 
and they are already drawing a great deal of interest from students.
“Around 90 people so far have signed up,” Elizabeth Woods, information services librarian, said. Woods was in charge of choosing the selection of books this year and according to her, this year’s challenge has been greatly anticipated by Capital’s students.
“[The sign-up list] went up February first,” Woods said, “the next day when I left at ten; we had 45 people signed up,” she said.
The Reading Challenge is an opportunity for Capital students to read a book they might not have read otherwise. Just by signing up to participate and read one of the books, the student receives that book free from the library.
The idea is that at very least students might be interested in free books and may be enticed to participate, although with the books Woods selects, it frequently isn’t hard to convince participants that they should actually read the books they receive.
“This is really about leisure reading,” Woods said. “This all started when I read an article about leisure reading and its effects on academics. Students spend so much time reading text books that they don’t have any time for leisure reading.”
There are also some valuable prizes up for grabs to students who both read their selected book and complete a questionnaire about it, including a new Kindle Fire.
“When I created this program last year it was easy reads, relaxed, but they can tie into things that are happening currently, issues people are dealing with currently,” Woods said.
To fit students’ varying interests there is a wide selection of books to choose from.
The staff at Blackmoore have been hard at work to prepare the reading list and the challenge for Capital students, to give them a chance to read something outside of class.
“We try to have every staff member read at least one of the books,” Elaine Dickinson, assistant director of Blackmoore said. “I’ve read a few and I really enjoyed them!”
The books for this year were chosen off of bestseller lists and online reviews and some of the books hold multiple awards.
Books include one book of poetry, one fiction graphic novel, one non-fiction book, and two novels.
The graphic novel is Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba.
“I was really surprised by the number of people who chose a graphic novel last year, so I had to make sure to include one this year.” Woods said.
“Daytripper follows the life of Bras de Olivias Dominguez as he starts each day at a different important part of his life, yet finishes each day dying again and again and again.
“The novel takes the reader through the ups and downs of Bras’ life to experience his own mortality, along with joy and pain that he has experienced throughout his life along the way.”
The poetry book Lucky Fish by Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author’s third collection of her poetry and is receiving rave reviews on Amazon as well as a series of awards.
Publisher’s Weekly described the book as by saying “everything from eating eels in the Ozark mountains to the history of red dye finds a rich life in her poems.” For any lover of poetry, this book is bound to satisfy and engage them.
The non-fiction selection is called Moby Duck by Donovan Hohn.
“This book was selected solely on reviews,” Woods said, as she admitted that this was the only book on the list she has yet to read. It is about a container of rubber ducks that falls off a cargo ship coming from Hong Kong.
“The ducks form a sort of trash island in the Pacific ocean which prompts environmentalists, scientists, and the author to go out and track the ducks.
One of the novels is titled The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta. It tells the story of individuals left after a series of mystical disappearances resembling the rapture take place.
“It’s kind of like Left Behind,” Dickinson said.
The book revolves around a single town in which all of these people disappear and everyone has to learn to cope with life after them. This book was placed on NPR’s “10 Best Novels of 2011” list, as well as USA Today’s list of “10 Books We Loved Reading in 2011” as well as praises in the Washington Post and New York Times.
The other novel is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
“The book is like Water for Elephants” Dickinson said. This has been the phrase that has been used to best describe the nature of this book which was marketed to Elaine Woods as the new Water for Elephants.
“I love circus reads, so I thought, new ‘Water for Elephants’?” Woods said. “Can’t be. And I believe this is her first book. This is by a debut author.”
The story of the novel traces the rivalry between two magicians who duel publicly with the presence of the circus to mask their abilities, meanwhile finding each other and falling in love.
Everyone involved with the challenge is excited from the amount of interest already shown in the program and they are confident that this enthusiasm will grow.
Books are handed out March 5, which is the Monday that students return from spring break so time is running out for those who wish to participate. The program closes March 25.
