Category Archives: Reading Challenges

Reading Greatly in 2023: The Durham Tech Library Reading Challenge

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A little unfinished business first–

Need to fill out your 2022 challenge form? Here it is! Since we’re a little late releasing the new list this year (and everyone deserves a little grace sometimes when we’re able), you’ve got until Friday, January 13, 2023 to complete and submit the 2022 Reading Challenge form.

If you’ve already filled it out, no need to do it a second time.

Want to revisit old challenges? Check out our new Read Great Things Challenge LibGuide website for the ghosts of reading challenges past.

Durham Tech Library Read Great Things Challenge 2023

What is the Read Great Things Challenge?

The Read Great Things Challenge is a personal reading challenge sponsored by the Durham Tech Library that encourages folks to diversify and/or increase their reading goals by completing books throughout 2023 that fit into at least 10 of the following 12 categories:

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What We’re Reading: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

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the storied life of a.j. fikry by gabrielle zevin
Available at the Main Campus
(PS 3626 .E95 S86 2014)

A.J. Fikry owns a bookstore, which he and his late wife Nic started on a vacationers’ island in New England. The story begins with A.J. the widower wallowing in his grief each night with frozen dinners and red wine. As he works through his grief and begins to let people into his life, he finds meaning.

Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: contemporary fiction

Read Great Things 2022 Categories: A happy or hopeful book; A book about community; Blast from the past: A book about family (2021), An epistolary book or a book that contains epistolary parts (2019), A book being made into a movie this year (2018)

Why did you choose to read this book?

My book club chose this as an upbeat book. We had been reading a lot of difficult or serious books–which I haven’t finished or quit reading–so this was a welcome change. This one was very light and breezy, without being simplistic.
It covers a lot of ground: love, loss and infidelity; books and reading; comedy, tragedy and hope.

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Read Great Things Challenge 2022: Five Years of Reading Together

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A little unfinished business first–

Need to fill out your 2021 challenge form? Here it is! 

Need to fill out your 2021 SPRINT form? We’ve got you– here it is!

If you’ve already filled it out, no need to do it a second time.

New year, new Read Great Things Challenge categories! 2022 marks the fifth year of our reading challenge and we’re excited to have you in our community of readers.

What is the Read Great Things Challenge?

The Read Great Things Challenge is a personal reading challenge sponsored by the Durham Tech Library that encourages folks to diversify and/or increase their reading goals by completing books throughout 2022 that fit into at least 10 of the following 12 categories:

Continue Reading →

What We’re Reading: Nomadland

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nomadland: surviving america in the twenty-first century by jessica bruder
Available at the Main Campus (HD 6280 .B77 2017) and as an ebook through Dogwood Digital Library

Ever notice an RV parked by Walmart at midnight? Ever wonder where your Amazon packages came from? Do you imagine that life on the road embodies the American dream? Find out!

This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Reference Librarian.

Title: Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

Author: Jessica Bruder 

Genre: Travel…sociology…retirement…economics…poverty? Nonfiction works, too.

Read Great Things 2021 categories: A book about social justice or equity, A microhistory (I personally used this title for this category), Choose your own category: A book made into a movie; A book suggested by a Durham Tech library staff member 

Why did you choose to read, listen to, or watch this?

I kept seeing this title—for the book, for the movie—in libraries, in magazines, in articles.  I resisted. But its persistent presence, as well as the image of on the cover, ultimately seduced me— hasn’t everyone dreamed of hitting the road in a vintage Airstream, especially during the darkest days of the pandemic? 

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What We’re Reading: Dune by Frank Herbert

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Dune is a story about politics, psychology, religion, addiction, ecology, power, and giant worms in the desert.

First published in 1965, Dune has become known as a science fiction classic. Two terrible movie adaptations have already been made and another hopefully not terrible film is coming out in October 2021. The main character is Paul Atreides, son of a Duke, who arrives to the desert planet of Arrakis and meets his destiny there. 

Dune by frank herbert (deluxe edition)
Many formats (and several additional books in the series) available through the Durham Tech Libraries

This book was read by Courtney Bippley, Main Campus Reference Librarian and library podcaster [Out Loud in the Library is available on all your favorite podcatchers]. 

Title: Dune

Author: Frank Herbert

Genre: Science Fiction

Format: Audiobook

Read Great Things 2021 Challenge Categories: A book about or set in space; A book recommended by a Durham Tech Library staff member

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Macro Choices of Microhistories

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Dig deep while reading narrow by completing a microhistory for the Read Great Things 2021 Challenge.

The most important question: What the heck is a microhistory?

A microhistory is a narrowly-focused, in-depth examination of a certain subject or individual over time. Some microhistories focus on illuminating the life and impact of a lesser-known group, event, or individual. Others dig deep into a subject or object to trace its historical, social, and/or other (economic, cultural, psychological, medical, etc.) impacts. A microhistory isn’t necessarily a short book– it can dig deep on a narrow topic over many pages. 

A HUGE THANK YOU to Courtney Bippley (who loves microhistories) for compiling book lists of lots of things we have available. Click through to see some of the books (ebooks included!) that you can get through Durham Tech and for some reading lists from around the internet of additional options.

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What We’re Reading: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye and some Jane Eyre-Inspired Reads

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Reader, I confess: I’ve never read Jane Eyre. I had a profoundly bad experience with another Brontë sister in high school that has biased me against the other Brontës. Fair? Nope, but sometimes reading isn’t fair when there are lots of other choices out there. 

However, I did recently read Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye about a orphan-turned-governess (with some life experience in between) who keeps coming across the opportunity to murder folks. She picks up a copy of Jane Eyre and is compelled to confess her life story and misdeeds. She’s not arbitrarily murdery, but–shucks–it just keeps happening. 

So let’s do this WWR thing–

jane steele by lyndsay faye

Title: Jane Steele

Author: Lyndsay Faye

Genre: Historical Fiction (takes place in Victorian England)

Available at the Orange County Campus (PS 3606 .A96 J36 2016)

Read Great Things 2021 Categories: A book that takes place outside the continental United States; A book about family; Choose your own category–A book inspired by another book; A book recommended by Durham Tech Library staff (our favorite category)

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