Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Thinking Of Nat Challenge

It is time for a new Nattie Challenge, don't you think? I apologize for the large gap between this one and the last one. When I went back to work, I found it hard to keep up with everything, even things I felt were important. Now, I am home again (YAY!) and trying to, slowly, pick things back up.

We are coming up on Nat's first Heaven Birthday. I started to challenge everyone to read a book that somehow dealt with heaven and eternity, but the idea just didn't take root. However, I like what I chose instead. You see, what are we all doing? Thinking of Natalie. Then, Pattie emailed me about a book she is sending me. It is one that makes us think of Natalie. Neither of us is sure if she ever read it or just wanted to. Still, I know I will think of her as I read.


So, the thinking of Nat challenge was born. Pick a book that makes you think of our Nattie-Pie. This may be a book you know she loved, a book you know she wanted to read, a book you have already read or something completely new. There may be an element of the story that reminds you of Nat (a single mom, a woman with cancer, someone beautifully in love with Jesus) or maybe the cover just brings her to mind.


This is a pretty open challenge, as far as reading goes.


Part 2 of this challenge goes beyond reading. I want you to give a book away in Natalie's name. Or, if this isn't possible (books cost money, and we don't all have that), you can do one of 2 things...


A. Email me with the address of the person you want to give a book to and I will see what I can come up with to send them in Nat's name, for you.


B. Read a book to a child and think of Natalie.


Simple, right?


Please, leave me a comment to let me know you are participating and I will link you in the sidebar. If you blog about this challenge, I would love to know. And, when you finish reading, let us know what you read and why. I will post those explanations in an entry as they start coming in.


Thanks!


Heather

PS This challenge will run through June and a new one will be posted in July.

14 comments:

Wendy said...

I have two books that make me think of Nattie: The Amateur Marriage, by Anne Tyler (which was one of her picks for the Something About Me Challenge); and The Bright Side Of Disaster, by Katherine Center (which is about motherhood). You didn't give a time frame for this challenge, so I am committing to reading one or both of these books by the end of June. Thanks for keeping up this blog.

Wendy said...

I posted this to my blog here.

I've also added it to A Novel Challenge blog.

Anonymous said...

I'm in Heather!! And I actually just finished the first Cleo Coyle (coffee house) mystery that Nattie recommended to me forever ago. *sigh* Of course, I'll read something else for the challenge, but I would love to give away my copy of "On What Grounds" if there is someone out there would like to read it!

Pattie said...

I will do a post later, but count me in. I have given SO MANY RECOMMENDATIONS from Nattie. And, I've given you personally, two books. That will count for now...

And Stephanie, Nattie recommended the coffeehouse mysteries to me like 2 yrs. ago. Then I couldn't bring myself to read them till she'd been gone for 6 months.

Wendy said...

I have had an author (Katherine Center) offer her latest novel (signed!) for my give-away in Nattie's memory. You can enter the give-away and read my post about it here.

Anonymous said...

Heather, count me in. I'm scheduled to read to the children at our local library on May 21. I'm so excited!

Aisling said...

Hey Heather, does storytelling count for the latter part, i.e. memorising a story from a book and telling that to the children?

Leann said...

I am going to finish the Mitford series.... FINALLY and then I am moving on to read Holly Springs in memory of Nattie Pie. I love this challenge!!! I will also pass along a book to someone from my collection that reminds me of her a little later in the summer. :)

Anonymous said...

Heather Pie-
I have never read the amateur marraige either so I am going to think of Nattie with that AND I am going to send someone In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day because Natalie never read it, but she would have LOVED it. I mean loved it. and she beat her lion even though we have to wait awhile to give her the victory hugs!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful challenge, Heather! Of course, nearly every book I encounter reminds me of Nattie. I plan to read Miss Julia Paints the Town by Ann B. Ross. Nattie introduced me to the works of this delightful author. In fact, the last thing Nattie & I were able to do together was attend one of her book signings.

Thank you for keeping Nattie's memory alive in such a meaningful way.

Pattie said...

I got the idea of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons from Steph G, and so I have a copy myself, and bookmooched 2 other copies to give away. How fun!!!

Wendy said...

I've posted a wrap up of the challenge here - it is on the bottom of my post about the challenge. Thanks for this one ... it was wonderful.

Lesley said...

On Nattie's Something about me challenge she had the book A Girl Named Zippy listed and I read it soon after she passed away. I am going to re-read the book this month for my part of the Nattie Challenge.

Oh and for the ladies reading The Amateur Marriage it is a great book.

Anonymous said...

I've read one book (Miss Julia Paints the Town by Ann B. Ross) and given away another. I've posted why I chose what I did on my (very sparse!) blog.