Video: The Rooster Summer Reading Challenge Keeps the Tournament of Books Alive

The Rooster Summer Reading Challenge is here! Cock-a-doodle-doo!

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Anyone else suffering from a book hangover now that the 2017 Tournament of Books is finished?

I know I am.

When The Morning News announced their summer reading club, I jumped for joy. On the inside, of course, because I was sitting at my desk at work and that would be weird.

Here’s the rundown:

• The official name: The Rooster Summer Reading Challenge.
• It’s named “The Rooster” after David Sedaris’ brother.
• If you’re not familiar with that, then stop reading right now and get thee to David Sedaris. Specifically, his short story, “You Can’t Kill the Rooster.” Here’s the audio version of it for free, courtesy of, who else, The Morning News.
• The challenge begins May 31.
• They choose two books each month during summer – one book chosen by The Morning News, one chosen by a guest judge.
• Each Wednesday, we’ll convene to talk about that month’s books.
• At the end of the month, a judge picks a winner.
• It ends in August, so by then, we’ll have gone through six books, narrowed down to three.
• We, the readers, vote on the ultimate summer winner of those three.
• That winner gets automatic entry into the 2018 Tournament of Books.

We’ll kick off the challenge with June’s books:

A Separation by Katie Kitamura

A Separation follows a woman as she goes overseas to find her estranged husband. When she gets there, she finds that the separation she had in mind may be much different than the one she gets. Read my full review here.

The Night Ocean by Paul La Farge

The Night Ocean features another woman searching for her missing husband. This one is obsessed with H.P Lovecraft, and in the midst of his obsessing, he disappears.

Where oh where are these husbands going?!

I’m looking forward to hearing people’s opinions of A Separation (wasn’t my favorite, but I can see how others might like it) and reading The Night Ocean.

Should make for a fun summer. Funner than it already inherently is, that is. Happy reading!