Ultra-Violet Challenge
The challenge: Read two of this year’s most buzzed about new novels—Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman and The Violets of March by Sarah Jio—as a couple. That’s right, together. Get your other couple friends to join you, then host a co-ed book club party and discuss!
Why? Conversation always seems better when men and women are involved, right? So Matthew Norman and Sarah Jio found a way to do just that while opening readers to books they may not otherwise read. Both having made their fiction debut with critically acclaimed novels in 2011, the authors created the ULTRA VIOLET READING CHALLENGE in hopes to get men and women engaged in reading books together in a fun and creative way.
How to enter: For a chance to win dinner for two at The Cheesecake Factory* (location of your choice!), leave a comment below or email your entry to sarah AT sarahjio DOT com. And, tell us the last book you read (on your own or with your sweetie)! Also, be sure to tell us if you’re planning a Violet-themed co-ed book party, so the authors can send you discussion questions and help you schedule a time for us to call in to say hi to your guests.
About the books:
DOMESTIC VIOLETS, by Matthew Norman, (Harper Perennial; Trade Paperback Original) is the big-hearted story of Tom Violet, son of a world-famous novelist, who suspects his wife of having an affair (not that his own erectile dysfunction hasn’t given her a reason). Tom fears sliding into one of those awkward, painfully self-aware pre-midlife crises that he and everyone else loathes hearing about. So, as a last-ditch effort to hold onto the idealism of his youth, he orchestrates a stupid revenge stunt at work that’s sure to get him fired. As a result, his life comes perilously close to unraveling – but it also just may be his last chance to step out of his father’s shadow, and take control of his marriage, career, and family. Satirical, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a book that demands to be enjoyed, explored, and discussed.
THE VIOLETS OF MARCH, by Sarah Jio, (A Plume Original), praised by Jodi Picoult and called “engrossing” by Redbook, offers an imaginative take on the universal longing to connect family past with personal present at the moment when it matters most. Novelist Emily Wilson had—on paper—the perfect life: A bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a gorgeous New York City apartment. Yet ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily’s good fortune. After accepting an invitation to visit Bainbridge Island for a month, Emily’s discovery of a red velvet diary dated 1943 pulls her out of her own troubles, and into a parallel life. A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.
Happy (co-ed!) reading!
Sarah and Matt (oh, and please come over and say hi to us on our Facebook page!)
*Disclaimer: The Cheesecake Factory is not a sponsor or an endorser of this contest (they’re just generous and a ton of fun!)
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 17 comments }
I hope your undergoes an uneventfully successful surgery. Also, I made that butternut squash recipe and it’s great.
Definitely hoping everything went well with your son’s surgery. I’m so sorry! Baking is good therapy. If that was me, I’d probably have outbaked Essential Baking Co. I sure hope all is well.
My husband and I love to read together. Although his eye sight does not allow him to read for as long as I normally do, we ejoythe time together and the discussions regarding the books and the authors. The last book we read toether was jodi Picoult’s last book and with cooler temps coming we are looking for a great pair of books to snuggle up together with!
I read to my husband all the time! Unfortunately, his eyesight is not good, and reading causes him duress. So…I read aloud! Here we are, laying in bed….me reading aloud. It’s a great time to reconnect and discuss new topics!
Thank you for encouraging us to all read together! What a clever challenge. We have often read and studied the Bible together, but I love the idea of doing a pleasure read together. And I love the dual Violets idea! Thanks, Sarah.
I love the Violets challenge! I’ll have to read them both, as I lost my sweetie several years ago. In fact, the last book we read ‘together’, I read to him, when he was in the hospital.
This is such a great idea! The last book I read on my own was The Girl Who Played With Fire. I’m hoping this will get my boyfriend into reading a little more, because I love to read!!!
I have to echo the other commenters–writing together seems like such an interesting experience. In the past, my husband and I have read to each other, but now that we have young children and my husband’s in college classes to get his master’s, that, sadly has lapsed. However, we read to and with the kids quite a bit. The “violets” pairing looks intriguing, Sarah; I discovered it thanks to C. Hope Clark’s having posted about it.
I don’t get to read a lot for pleasure each year–a tragedy for an English major, and a strange thing to say given that I’m an editor and writer–but I’ve made it a goal to do more and have recently started using the e-reader I was given some time back. The most recent books I’ve read for fun are _Born Standing Up_, an autobiography by comedian Steve Martin (on paper), and Dickens’ _A Tale of Two Cities_ (on the e-reader). I don’t plan a Violet-themed party, unfortunately, but would be interested in reading both your book and Matthew’s.
The books both sound great! I would look forward to reading them. I sometimes spend so much time on teen fiction, look forward to reading some grown-up fiction!
I am going to try this with Norm and another 2 or 3 couples. It’s Norm’s busy season so we will see how it goes.
The last book I read was The Violets of March! Great Book! Looking forward to reading Domestic Violets! Am I entered in the contest now? I hope so!
Such a neat idea! My husband and I met in a co-ed science fiction book club, and last month we started a co-ed sci-fi book club in our new city. The book from our meeting last night was Robopocalypse. We’ve picked the next book already, but I will definitely suggest these reads for the following meeting (even though they’re not science fictiony!).
I want to read these two books,they would go great with some CHEESECAKE! Nom!Nom!
Last book I read was Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. Can’t wait to read The Violets of March.
Reading together is one of the coolest bonding experiences my husband and I have ever had. When I read “Violets of March”, he didn’t read it with me, but I was so into it I couldn’t stop talking about it. He ended up asking me enough questions that it was like he read it with me.
He is such a good husband, that I am still not sure if he was being really sweet or he really was intersted in all the twists and turns of the plot. Either way it brought us closer and we talked and laughed. A book is a powerful conversation promoter and a love kindler too.
Loved Violets of March, but I don’t think I’ll be able to get my husband to read anything for fun anytime soon…college courses take precedent.. But you know, maybe if I bribe him with food from the Cheesecake Factory
Anyway, keep up the great writing, Sarah! Looking forward to The Bungalow.
I love the idea of co-ed book events and the common word connection too. I have taken the liberty of presenting this idea to those with books clubs in my life.
Last book my DH and I both read was THE NIGHT CIRCUS. Our tastes very rarely intersect but he could not resist my gushing over the book and had to take his own peak.
Congrats on the success of VIOLETS OF MARCH and the highly anticipated THE BUNGALOW.
Comments on this entry are closed.