2024 Reading Challenges Update #3

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year.

• Goodreads 194/200 97%

• Unread Shelf 38/50 76%**

• Kid Read Alouds 36/50 72%**

• 52 Book Club 44/52 84%

• She Reads Romance 27/36 75%**

• COYER 9/20 45%*

• Decades 6/12 50%

• Lifetime 8/12 67%

• In Case You Missed It 11/12 92%**

• Nonfiction Reader 12/12 100%

• Library Love 55/60 92%

• Clock Numbers 4/12 33%*

• Fairytales 6/12 50%*

• Spooky Season 8/26 31%

Total Challenges 1/14 7.1%

Total Reading Slots 458/566 80.9%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: I reading focused on reading my own shelves and made some great progress there. For the last quarter, I want to try and finish that one and work on fairytale retellings, clock, and spooky season challenges.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2024 Reading Challenges Update #2

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year.

• Goodreads 137/200 69%

• Unread Shelf 25/50 50%

• Kid Read Alouds 26/50 52%

• 52 Book Club 37/52 71.2%**

• She Reads Romance 22/36 61.1%

• COYER 7/20 35%*

• Decades 6/12 50%

• Lifetime 6/12 50%

• In Case You Missed It 7/12 58%

• Nonfiction Reader 8/12 66.7%**

• Library Love 41/60 68%

• Clock Numbers 3/12 25%*

• Fairytales 5/12 41%*

Total Challenges 0/13 0%

Total Reading Slots 330/540 61.1%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Of course I need to focus on reading the books on my shelf and on my Kindle app. This is a perennial problem for me. I also want to get back to the Clock and Fairytale Challenges. I’m really trucking along with Nonfiction and Romance.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2024 Reading Challenges Update #1

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year.

• Goodreads 83/200 41.5%

• Unread Shelf 10/50 20%*

• Kid Read Alouds 17/50 34%

• 52 Book Club 17/52 32.7%

• She Reads Romance 15/36 41.7%**

• COYER 6/20 30%*

• Decades 3/12 25%

• Lifetime 3/12 25%

• In Case You Missed It 4/12 33.3%

• Nonfiction Reader 4/12 33.3%

• Library Love 25/60 41.7%**

• Clock Numbers 2/12 16.7%

• Fairytales 2/12 16.7%

Total Challenges 0/13 0%

Total Reading Slots 191/540 34.4%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Of course I need to focus on reading the books on my shelf and on my Kindle app. This is a perennial problem for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2024 Reading Challenges

Another year, another attempt at reading challenges. Once again, I’m going to try to complete a variety of challenges. At the same time, I really want to keep my mood reading to direct my reading. Let’s see if I can combine the two.

2024 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• UnRead Shelf Project

• Kid Read Alouds

• 52 Book Club

• She Reads Romance

• COYER

• Decades

• Library Love

• Lifetime

• Nonfiction Reader

• In Case You Missed It

• Clock

• Fairytale

Goodreads Challenge (200) - I’m sticking with my usual 200 books for this overall goal. Last year, I ended up going far past my goal and read 272 books. I don’t necessarily want to up my year goal, so I’m going to stick with 200.

UnRead Shelf (50) - My sixth year attempt to control my Unread Shelf. Let’s see if I can do a better job of it this year. I’m not going to make a Top 10 list, but I do want to read 50 books off my shelf. Currently, I have 324 books on that shelf.

Kid Read Alouds (20) - Continuing with this challenge again this year. We have some great read aloud choices for the spring semester. And I’m sure that I’ll pick some great titles for the fall semester.

52 Book Club (52) - I am often tempted by big diverse prompt challenges, but I lot I have issues with the prompts. This one seems to be more in line with how I read. And I like the one book a week idea. So I’m going to attempt this one! You can find more information at The 52 Book Club.

She Reads Romance (36) - My romance challenge from last year seems to have disappeared, so I had to chose a new one. This one has a good mix of genres and tropes to look for. You can find more information at She Reads Romance.

COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader) (20) - Goodness knows that I have too many books on my Kindle app. It’s time to start attempting to reduce that number. More information at Because Reading.

Decades (12) - A new to me challenge from The Book Girls’ Guide. In this one, I’ll be hitting books set in different decades.

Lifetime (12) - A new to me challenge from The Book Girls’ Guide. In this one, I’ll be hitting books with characters of different ages.

In Case You Missed It (12) - A new to me challenge from The Book Girls’ Guide. In this one, I’ll be hitting books from a variety of previous published years.

Nonfiction Reader (12) - Last year, I realized that my nonfiction reading was practically nonexistent. I want to change that for 2024. So I’m joining the nonfiction book challenge hosted by Book’d Out.

Library Love (60) - Of course I’m going to sign up of a Library Book Challenge. I love using the library, so this one is going to be an easy challenge for me. This particular one is hosted by Books of My Heart.

Clock (12) - Read books with numbers 1-12 in the title. This sounded like a fun silly challenge. You can find more information at Jo Linsdell.

Fairytale Retelling (12) - I love a good fairytale retelling, so I had to join this one. You can find more information at Charity Rau.

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I also decided to create my own spice meter for romance books. A 1-5 scale seemed too limiting for the types of books I read. So I expanded it to 8 levels with corresponding explanations. I will be rating all of my romance books on this new scale.

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My rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one

2023 Reading Challenges Roundup: Completed and Failed

For 2023, I brought back reading challenges into my life. Let’s see which ones I actually finished.

Completed Challenges

Goodreads
Goal 272/200 Books 100%

COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader)
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (1/21/23)

2. The Vampire Villain by Melody Raven (4/6/23)

3. The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith (5/24/23)

4. Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon (5/25/23)

5. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (6/15/23)

6. The Bees by Laline Paull (7/22/23)

7. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (7/19/23)

8. Wasted Words by Staci Hart (7/27/23)

9. 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (9/7/23)

10. Devil to Pay by Jeaniene Frost (9/1/23)

11. Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost (9/1/23)

12. Cinders by Michelle D. Argyle (9/13/23)

13. The Haunting of Winchester Mansion by Alexandria Clarke (9/27/23)

14. Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti (10/6/23)

15. Ark by Veronica Roth (11/24/23)

16. Summer Frost by Blake Crouch (11/24/23)

17. Emergency Skin by NK Jemisin (11/24/23)

18. You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles (11/25/23)

19. The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay (11/25/23)

20. Randomize by Andy Weir (11/25/23)

Seasonal - Fall
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 5 Books in a Series ✓

   • Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost (9/23/23)

   • Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost (10/5/23)

   • A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (10/4/23)

   • Preacher Vol. 1 (10/22/23)

   • Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark (11/2/23)

2. 5 Spooky Books ✓

   • Mister Magic by Kiersten White (9/24/23)

   • Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie (10/10/23)

   • This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham (10/7/23)

   • The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry (10/20/23)

   • The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher (10/13/23)

3. 5 Kindle/Ebooks ✓

   • The Haunting of Winchester Mansion by Alexandria Clarke (9/27/23)

   • Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti (10/6/23)

   • Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (10/14/23)

   • Ark by Veronica Roth (11/24/23)

   • Summer Frost by Blake Crouch (11/24/23)

4. 3 Kid Read Alouds ✓

   • Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk (10/4/23)

   • Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White (10/11/23)

   • Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (10/21/23)

5. 3 Nonfiction ✓

   • The Kingdom of Prep by Maggie Bullock (9/22/23)

   • Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe (10/19/23)

   • Unlikeable Female Characters by Anna Bogutskaya (11/15/23)

6. 2 Audiobooks ✓

   • Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (10/21/23)

   • White Cat by Holly Black (10/26/23)

7. 2 Random Library Picks ✓

   • Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (9/28/23)

   • The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead (9/29/23)

Seasonal - Summer
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 3 Unread Shelf Books ✓

   • This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (7/14/23)

   • Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (7/26/23)

   • Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (9/21/23)

2. 3 Buddy Reads / Book Club Selections ✓

   • The Bees by Laline Paull (7/22/23)

   • Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (7/15/23)

   • Anatomy by Dana Schwartz (7/25/23)

3. 3 MG/YA Books ✓

   • Don’t Turn Out the Lights (6/29/23)

   • Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (6/29/23)

   • Camp Red Moon by R.L. Stine (7/21/23)

4. 3 Kid Read Alouds ✓

   • Wildoak by CC Harrington (8/24/23)

   • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (9/13/23)

   • Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien (8/18/23)

5. 3 Audiobooks ✓

   • The Curator by Owen King (6/27/23)

   • Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones (6/28/23)

   • The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (6/29/23)

6. 3 Retreat Purchases or Recs ✓

   • Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A Snyder (7/19/23)

   • Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (7/22/23)

   • Break Your Glass Slippers by Amanda Lovelace (8/15/23)

7. 3 Nonfiction ✓

   • Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy (7/25/23)

   • Hey Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson (8/2/23)

   • The Things We Make by Bill Hammack (9/8/23)

8. 2 Books in a Series ✓

   • The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George (6/24/23)

   • Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (7/19/23)

9. 2 Random Library Choices ✓

   • Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse (7/3/23)

   • The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox (7/7/23)

Kid Read Alouds
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans by Russell Ginns (1/11/23)

2. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1/20/23)

3. The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin (1/19/23)

4. Winterhouse by Ben Guterson (2/9/23)

5. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (2/3/23)

6. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh (1/23/23)

7. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (2/16/23)

8. A True Home by Kallie George (2/23/23)

9. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (3/8/23)

10. Argos by Ralph Hardy (3/11/23)

11. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (3/22/23)

12. The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix (4/8/23)

13. Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca (4/14/23)

14. The Greatest Gift by Kallie George (4/11/23)

15. The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity (5/14/23)

16. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (6/5/23)

17. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater (5/18/23)

18. The Deceivers by Margaret Peterson Haddix (6/4/23)

19. Wildoak by CC Harrington (8/24/23)

20. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien (8/18/23)

Seasonal - Winter
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 5 Graphic Novels/Comic Trades

   • Ducks by Kate Beaton (1/11/23)

   • Lore, Olympus Vol. 3 by Rachel Smythe (1/25/23)

   • The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (1/22/23)

   • Lady Mechanika Vol. 7 (1/27/23)

   • The Dollhouse Family (1/28/23)

2. 5 Scifi/Fantasy Books

   • Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert (1/11/23)

   • Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter (1/13/23)

   • The End and Other Beginnings by Veronica Roth (1/18/23)

   • One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/20/23)

   • Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (2/4/23)

3. 3 Buddy Reads (CR and Nerdy Bookish Friends)

   • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (1/21/23)

   • Babel by RF Kaung (2/22/23)

   • A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (3/18/23)

4. 3 Nonfiction Books

   • Paradise Falls by Keith O’Brien (1/16/23)

   • A Literary Education by Emily Cook (1/24/23)

   • Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson (2/25/23)

5. 3 Romance

   • Misadventures of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone (1/12/23)

   • It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (1/26/23)

   • Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2/5/23)

6. 2 Classics

   • Timemaster by Robert L. Forward (2/24/23)

   • The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/14/23)

7. 2 Middle Grade

   • Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack (1/25/23)

   • Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack (2/3/23)

8. 2 Historical Fiction

   • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (2/14/23)

   • The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron (3/18/23)

Failed Challenges

UnRead Shelf
Goal 28/50 Books 56%

1. January: Comfort - Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/19/23)

2. February: Courage - Babel by R.F. Kuang (2/22/23)

3. March: Enough - The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/14/23)

4. April: Delight - Crossings by Alex Landragin (4/29/23)

5. May: Curious - Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann (5/12/23)

6. June: Explore - Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (6/17/23)

7. July: Joy - Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (7/8/23)

8. August: Immerse - The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (8/18/23)

9. September: Remember - Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala (9/21/23)

10. October: Influence - The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (10/18/23)

11. November: Nurture - Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (11/21/23)

12. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/20/23)

13. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (1/24/23)

14. At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost (1/27/23)

15. Lady Mechanika Vol. 7 (1/27/23)

16. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (3/23/23)

17. Weyward by Emilia Hart (3/28/23)

18. The Night Ship by Jess Kidd (4/8/23)

19. Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost (4/21/23)

20. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (4/28/23)

21. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (7/5/23)

22. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (7/14/23)

23. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (7/12/23)

24. Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A Snyder (7/19/23)

25. Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (7/26/23)

26. Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert (9/19/23)

27. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (10/24/23)

28. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott (10/29/23)

Book of the Month Cleanout
Goal 11/12 Books 91.7%

1. Babel by R.F. Kuang (2/22/23)

2. Weyward by Emilia Hart (3/28/23)

3. Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen (6/17/23)

4. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young (7/5/23)

5. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (7/8/23)

6. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (7/12/23)

7. The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (8/18/23)

8. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala (9/21/23)

9. The Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (10/18/23)

10. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (10/24/23)

11. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott (10/29/23)

The 52 Book Club
Goal 46/52 Books 88.5%

1. A Book with a Subtitle - You Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon (3/26/23)

2. Featuring an Inheritance - Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2/11/23)

3. Title Starting with “G” - The Getaway by Lamar Giles (3/30/23)

4. Title Starting with “H” - Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (2/28/23)

5. Title Starting with “I” - Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (6/25/23)

6. Under 200 Pages - Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (2/4/23)

7. A City or Country Name in Title - The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (5/5/23)

8. Dystopian Fiction - The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (3/4/23)

9. A Book with a Dedication - A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (5/4/23)

10. Takes Place During the Roaring Twenties - The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/14/23)

11. A Book About Secrets - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (1/24/23)

12. High Fantasy - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (1/21/23)

13. Published Posthumously - Starship Titanic by Douglas Adams and Terry Jones (6/28/23)

14. A Survival Story - A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs (2/8/23)

15. Set in Australia - Acid for the Children by Flea (3/22/23)

16. Featuring One of the “Seven Deadly Sins” - Priest by Sierra Simone (1/31/23)

17. By a Caribbean Author

18. Set During a War Other Than WWI or WWII - Timeline by Michael Crichton (9/16/23)

19. Typographic Cover - VenCo by Cherie Dimaline (5/30/23)

20. A Book About Siblings - Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (2/10/23)

21. A Second-Hand Book - Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters (11/21/23)

22. A Body-Positive Message - A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone (2/9/23)

23. An Alliterative Title - Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (5/27/23)

24. Nordic Noir

25. A Fashionable Character - A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (5/26/23)

26. Has an Epilogue - The Deal by Elle Kennedy (1/13/23)

27. Newbery Medal Winner - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (9/13/23)

28. Includes a Funeral - Immortality by Dana Schwartz (7/28/23)

29. Sends You Down a Rabbit Hole - The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (4/25/23)

30. An Author with a Same Name Town as You - The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson (8/23/23)

31. Set in a Workplace - Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy (2/23/23)

32. Published by Macmillan - The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson (8/23/23)

33. A Banned Book

34. Featuring Mythology - The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi (3/8/23)

35. A Book You Meant to Read Last Year - The Mistake by Elle Kennedy (2/25/23)

36. Chapters have Cliffhangers - Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty (3/3/23)

37. Written in Present Tense - Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack (2/3/23)

38. An Enemies-to-Lovers Plot - Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (7/13/23)

39. The Final Book in a Series - The Dire King by William Ritter (1/28/23)

40. Written by a Comedian

41. A Character Who is a Refugee - Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang (8/16/23)

42. Time in the Title - The End and Other Beginnings by Veronica Roth (1/18/23)

43. A Book “Everyone” has Read - The Mountain the Sea by Ray Nayler (3/11/23)

44. A Contemporary Setting - How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder (5/20/23)

45. First Word in the Book is “The” - The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill (4/26/23)

46. Script Font on the Spine - Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal (5/23/23)

47. Set in the City of Dublin

48. A Book by Octavia E. Butler

49. Books on the Cover - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (8/4/23)

50. Related to the Word “Murder” - Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth (7/29/23)

51. Doesn't Fit Any of the Other 51 Prompts - Ducks by Kate Beaton (1/11/23)

52. Published in 2023 - The Drift by CJ Tudor (3/25/23)

Romanceopoly
Goal 37/39 Books 94.9%

1. Sleuth Street (Mystery/Thriller where main character is a detective or PI) - My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey (3/15/23)

2. Library (Free Choice) - Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2/11/23)

3. Killer Crescent (Mystery/Thriller of choice) - Radiant Sin by Katee Robert (4/5/23)

4. The Bar (Main character works at or owns a bar) - Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis (2/15/23)

5. Winter (Winter holiday book) - A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone (2/9/23)

6. Flirts Corner (Contemporary author you haven’t tried before) - Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy (2/23/23)

7. BFF’s House (Friends to Lovers) - Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (2/28/23)

8. Amour Avenue (Contemporary romance with an Illustrated cover) - Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (2/10/23)

9. Passion Place (Slow Burn or Instant Heat Contemporary Romance) - Priest by Sierra Simone (1/31/23)

10. Post Office (Set in a different country) - The Secret Society of Tea and Treason by India Holton (6/7/23)

11. Courtship Row (Read a historical romance with a clinch cover) - Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian (8/9/23)

12. Burger Joint (Read a book where one of the main characters is in the food industry, for example, a chef, food critic or a restaurant or food truck owner) - When in Rome by Sarah Adams (5/9/23)

13. The Cobbles (Historical romance with a rake) - Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2/5/23)

14. Past Eaves (Read the historical romance that catches your interest) - The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (5/5/23)

15. Spring (Read a book that has an animal on the cover) - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (4/15/23)

16. Fang Alley (Paranormal where one of the main characters is a vampire) - Court of the Vampire Queen (1/11/23)

17. Library (Free Choice) - The Score by Elle Kennedy (3/24/23)

18. Fated Folly (Read a paranormal romance with a bit of magic in it) - Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost (9/12/23)

19. The Vault (Paranormal with the main character on the cover) - Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (1/19/23)

20. Haunted House (Read a monster romance or something spooky) - The Dragon’s Bride by Katee Robert (11/3/23)

21. Ever Afters St. (Read a sapphic romance) -

22. Farmers Market (Where one of the main characters is a farmer or rancher or cowboy) - Misadventure of a Curvy Girl by Sierra Simone (1/12/23)

23. Rainbow Row (Read a romance featuring an LGBTQIA+ main character) - The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles (8/8/23)

24. Lovers Lane (Read a male/male romance) - The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian (6/9/23)

25. Summer (Water on the Cover; Set at the Beach) - It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (1/26/23)

26. Action Avenue (Read a fantasy from your TBR) - The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell (4/8/23)

27. City Lane (Read a fantasy that doesn’t involve magic) - Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert (9/19/23)

28. The Gym (Read the longest book on your TBR) - Snowed in for Christmas by Jaqueline Snowe (12/2/23)

29. Journeys End (Read a fantasy with a cover that takes your breath away) - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (8/4/23)

30. Emergency Services (Main Character is a part of emergency services {I’m counting Archer’s job}) - Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (2/17/23)

31. Campus Corner (Set in college/university) - The Deal by Elle Kennedy (1/13/23)

32. Soldier Street (Read a book where one of the main characters are in the military) - Blue Sky Cowboy Christmas by Joanne Kennedy (12/21/23)

33. Library (Free Choice) - How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder (5/20/23)

34. Beau Boulevard (Read a young adult book of your choice) - The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell (10/26/23)

35. Autumn (Read a book that has either: A red or gold cover; or, Has trees and leaves on the cover; or, Has a cozy vibe) - Role Playing by Cathy Yardley (11/29/23)

36. The Office (Read a romance where the characters meet at work) - The Fine Print by Lauren Asher (5/17/23)

37. Star Harbour (Read a sci fi where one of the main characters is an alien) -

38. Coffee Shop (Read a book that has been recommended to you!) - A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (4/11/23)

39. Outer Space (Read a sci fi with the “mars needs women” trope) - Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon (5/25/23)

Finishing the Series
Goal 8/10 Books 80%

1. ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas ✓

   • A Court of Silver Flames (10/4/23)

2. Jackaby by William Ritter ✓

   • Ghostly Echoes (1/11/23)

   • The Dire King (1/28/23)

3. Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost ✓

   • Halfway to the Grave (1/19/23)

   • Happily Never After (8/12/23)

   • One Foot in the Grave (1/20/23)

   • At Grave’s End (1/27/23)

   • Destined for an Early Grave (4/21/23)

   • This Side of the Grave (7/14/23)

   • One Grave at a Time (8/29/23)

   • Up from the Grave (9/15/23)

4. Heartbreaker Bay by Jill Shalvis ✓

   • Sweet Little Lies (2/15/23)

   • Accidentally on Purpose (2/17/23)

   • Chasing Christmas Eve (2/18/23)

   • Holiday Wishes (2/21/23)

   • About that Kiss (3/9/23)

   • Hot Winter Nights (3/29/23)

   • Playing for Keeps (8/5/23)

   • Wrapped Up in You (8/11/23)

5. Night Huntress World ✓

   • First Drop of Crimson (4/28/23)

   • Eternal Kiss of Darkness (7/26/23)

6. Night Prince ✓

   • Once Burned (9/6/23)

   • Twice Tempted (9/12/23)

   • Bound by Flames (9/23/23)

   • Into the Fire (10/5/23)

7. The Austens

   • Wasted Words (7/27/23)

   • A Thousand Letters

   • Love, Hannah

   • Love Notes

   • Pride and Papercuts

8. The Doomsday Books

   • The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (8/8/23)

   • A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel

9. Regency Imposters ✓

   • Unmasked by the Marquess (8/9/23)

   • A Duke in Disguise (8/24/23)

   • A Delicate Deception (11/18/23)

10. The Sinister Summer ✓

    • Vampiric Vacation (8/12/23)

    • Camp Creepy (8/25/23)

    • Menacing Manor (8/30/23)

Seasonal - Spring
Goal 23/25 Books 80%

1. 5 Scifi/Fantasy Books ✓

   • The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (3/23/23)

   • The Night Ship by Jess Kidd (4/8/23)

   • The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill (4/26/23)

   • Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth (5/10/23)

   • Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (5/18/23)

2. 5 Romance ✓

   • The Score by Elle Kennedy (3/24/23)

   • Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis (3/29/23)

   • Radiant Sin by Katee Robert (4/5/23)

   • The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell (4/8/23)

   • A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (4/11/23)

3. 5 Middle Grade Books

   • Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann (5/12/23)

   • Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier (6/6/23)

   • Silver People by Margarita Engle (6/11/23)

   • TBD

   • TBD

4. 4 Kindle Books ✓

   • The Vampire Villain by Melody Raven (4/6/23)

   • Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (4/15/23)

   • Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradel (5/23/23)

   • I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (5/17/23)

5. 3 Nonfiction Books ✓

   • Acid for the Children by Flea (3/22/23)

   • You Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon (3/26/23)

   • Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski (4/22/23)

6. 3 Buddy Reads / Book Club Selections ✓

   • The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (4/14/23)

   • The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith (5/24/23)

   • The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (6/15/23)

2023 Reading Challenges Update #3

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year. I am leaving out the Build Your Library Challenge as it’s very strictly Arthur’s challenge and I’m not focused on actually completing it.

• Goodreads 176/200 88%

• Winter TBR 25/25 100%

• Spring TBR 20/25 80%

• Summer TBR 22/25 84%

• Fall TBR (not started yet)

• Unread Shelf 22/50 44%*

• Kid Read Alouds 20/20 100%

• BOTM Cleanout 7/12 58.3%

• 52 Book Club 43/52 80.8%**

• Romanceopoly 30/39 76.9%**

• COYER 8/20 40%*

• Finishing the Series 4/10 40%

Total Challenges 2/12 16.7%

Total Reading Slots 377/503 75%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Overall, I’m really doing a decent job at all my reading challenges. I do need to retool my focus to my own shelves. Looking forward to my last season of this year’s reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Reading Challenges Update #2

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year. I am leaving out the Build Your Library Challenge as it’s very strictly Arthur’s challenge and I’m not focused on actually completing it.

• Goodreads 108/200 54%

• Winter TBR 25/25 100%

• Spring TBR 20/25 80%

• Summer TBR (not started yet)

• Fall TBR (not started yet)

• Unread Shelf 14/50 28% *

• Kid Read Alouds 16/20 80%

• BOTM Cleanout 2/12 16.7%

• 52 Book Club 34/52 65.4% **

• Romanceopoly 25/39 64.1% **

• COYER 4/20 20%

• Finishing the Series 1/10 10% *

Total Challenges 1/12 8.3%

Total Reading Slots 249/503 49.5%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: My two big personal category challenges (Romanceopoly and 52 Book Club) are actually going very well. I just really need to focus on reading more books from my own shelves. I would like to end the year with an Unread Shelf of less than 300. — I just reposted my comment from the previous update. They are exactly the same.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Reading Challenges Update #1

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year. I am leaving out the Build Your Library Challenge as it’s very strictly Arthur’s challenge and I’m not focused on actually completing it.

• Goodreads 71/200 36%

• Winter TBR 25/25 100%

• Spring TBR 5/25 20% **

• Summer TBR (not started yet)

• Fall TBR (not started yet)

• Unread Shelf 9/50 18% *

• Kid Read Alouds 11/20 55%

• BOTM Cleanout 2/12 16.7%

• 52 Book Club 24/52 46.2% **

• Romanceopoly 16/39 41% **

• COYER 1/20 5% *

• Finishing the Series 1/10 10% *

Total Challenges 1/12 8.3%

Total Reading Slots 165/503 32.8%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: My two big personal category challenges (Romanceopoly and 52 Book Club) are actually going very well. I just really need to focus on reading more books from my own shelves. I would like to end the year with an Unread Shelf of less than 300.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Reading Challenges

2023 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• UnRead Shelf Project

• Seasonal TBRS: Winter TBR, Spring TBR, Summer TBR, Fall TBR

• Kid Read Alouds

• BOTM Cleanout

• 52 Book Club

• Romanceopoly

• COYER

• Finishing the Series

• Build Your Library (Arthur Focused)

GoodReads Challenge (200) - I’m sticking with my usual 200 books for this overall goal. Last year, I blew past that number and ended with 244, my second highest number ever. But I don’t necessarily want to read more books, I just want to keep my momentum up. 200 seems like a good number.

UnRead Shelf (50) - My fifth year participating in this particular challenge. I haven’t really done well in years past, but I do want to keep this on my radar. You can find more information about this challenge at The Unread Shelf. For 2023, my Top 10 to Read:

1. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

2. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

3. Wake, Siren by Nina MacLaughlin

4. Lady Mechanika Vol. 7

5. The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

6. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

7. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

8. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

9. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

10. The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson

Seasonal TBRs (25 x4) - Instead of strict monthly goals, I’m going to focus on seasonal goals. Unlike last year, I won’t be filling my lists with 25 specific titles, but instead use a bit of a goal framework. For example, winter’s list can include 5 Kindle books, 5 fantasy/scifi pics, 5 romances, and 5 nonfiction. I can go anywhere in those categories. This helps me diversify my genres and styles.

Kid Read Alouds (20) - Continuing with this challenge again this year. We have some great read aloud choices for the spring semester. And I’m sure that I’ll pick some great titles for the fall semester.

BOTM Cleanout (12) - I have so many BOTM books just hanging out my floor. I was excited to order every single one of them, but then they just started gathering dust. This year I want to reduce my pile by at least 12 books.

52 Book Club (52) - I am often tempted by big diverse prompt challenges, but I lot I have issues with the prompts. This one seems to be more in line with how I read. And I like the one book a week idea. So I’m going to attempt this one! You can find more information at The 52 Book Club.

Romanceopoly (39) - This challenge is going to be a big of a stretch. As I rediscovered my love of romance books, I thought I would give it a try. I haven’t decided if I want to move space by space through the board or roll dice to determine. More information at Romanceopoly.

COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reader) (20) - Goodness knows that I have too many books on my Kindle app. It’s time to start attempting to reduce that number. More information at Because Reading.

Finishing the Series (10) - I’m hoping to finish 10 series this year. I know of a few that have already been started, but I imagine that many many more will crop up as the year progresses. More information at Celebrity Readers.

1. ACOTAR - I need to just read A Court of Silver Flames

2. Jackaby - I need to read Ghostly Echoes and The Dire King.

Build Your Library (40) - BYL forms the basis for our homeschool curriculum and I just now learned that Emily makes a reading challenge every year. This challenge will be primarily for Arthur, but I imagine that I will be reading many of the books with him, so I added it to my page. Looking forward to a great year of reading with the kids. More information at Build Your Library.

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I also decided to create my own spice meter for romance books. A 1-5 scale seemed too limiting for the types of books I read. So I expanded it to 8 levels with corresponding explanations. This year, I will be rating all of my romance books on this new scale.

---

My rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one

2022 Reading Challenges Roundup: Completed and Failed

For 2022, I ended up throwing out any outside reading challenges. I focused more on mood reading and attempting to just go where my reading thoughts take me. I ended up finishing a few of my own challenges and failing at a lot of the others. But that’s okay. I don’t mind that I failed all of these challenges.

2022 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• Winter RC

• Spring RC

• Summer RC

• Fall RC

• Perpetual RC

• UnRead Shelf Project

• UnRead Shelf RC

• Kid Read Alouds

And now let’s break down all the individual challenges, starting with those that I completed:

Completed Challenges

Goodreads
Goal 244/200 Books 100%

Kid Read Alouds
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (2/10/22)

2. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (3/13/22)

3. City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda (4/5/22)

4. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (4/17/22)

5. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming (4/24/22)

6. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (5/8/22)

7. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein (5/25/22)

8. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (6/9/22)

9. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (6/19/22)

10. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (7/12/22)

11. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (8/4/22)

12. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (8/19/22)

13. The Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el (8/25/22)

14. The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliam (8/20/22)

15. Through the Looking-glass and What Alice Saw There by Lewis Carroll (9/1/22)

16. Word of Mouse by James Patterson (9/7/22)

17. Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris (9/15/22)

18. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (9/22/22)

19. A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry (9/30/22)

20. Morning Girl by Michael Dorris (9/18/22)

Fall
Goal 25/25 Books 100%

1. 5 Horror

   • Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler (10/11/22)

   • The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (10/19/22)

   • Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (10/25/22)

   • You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine (10/20/22)

   • The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine (10/21/22)

2. 5 Fantasy/Scifi

   • Vicious by VE Schwab (9/27/22)

   • Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (9/28/22)

   • A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (10/14/22)

   • The Lost Vampire Prince by Melody Raven (11/4/22)

   • The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (1/11/22)

3. 3 Kid Read Alouds

   • A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry (9/30/22)

   • The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown (10/12/22)

   • Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone (10/14/22)

4. 3 Book Club / Buddy Reads

   • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler - Nerdy Bookish Friends Read (9/23/22)

   • Her Majesty’s Secret Coven by Juno Dawson - Nerdy Bookish Friends Read (10/7/22)

   • Fairy Tale by Stephen King - Nerdy Bookish Friends Read (11/12/22)

5. 3 Romance

   • The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George (9/25/22)

   • The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George (11/19/22)

   • The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly (11/25/22)

6. 2 Classics

   • I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (9/24/22)

   • The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren (11/18/22)

7. 2 Nonfiction

   • The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse (10/12/22)

   • The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill (10/8/22)

8. 2 Library Choices

   • My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (10/22/22)

   • Beastly Bones by William Ritter (10/28/22)

Failed Challenges

Perpetual Reading Challenge
Goal 0/25 Books 0%

1. TBD

2. TBD

3. TBD

4. TBD

5. TBD

6. TBD

7. TBD

8. TBD

9. TBD

10. TBD

UnRead Shelf
Goal 23/50 Books 46%

1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (1/30/22)

2. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (1/29/22)

3. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (2/8/22)

4. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (3/26/22)

5. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (4/6/22)

6. The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier (5/27/22)

7. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd (6/18/22)

8. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (6/28/22)

9. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (7/5/22)

10. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (9/21/22)

11. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (9/23/22)

12. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (9/24/22)

13. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George (9/25/22)

14. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (9/28/22)

15. The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill (10/8/22)

16. The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse (10/12/22)

17. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (10/19/22)

18. You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine (10/20/22)

19. The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine (10/21/22)

20. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (10/25/22)

21. Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (10/26/22)

22. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (10/29/22)

23. The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard (11/26/22)

24. The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones

Unread Shelf Project Reading Challenge
Goal 14/24 Books 58.3%

1. January: The Book You’ve Been Putting Off Reading - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (1/30/22)

2. February: A Title You Couldn’t Resist - House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (2/8/22)

3. March: A Memoir or Biography - Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (9/28/22)

4. April: A Book by an Indie Published or Small Press - The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier (5/27/22)

5. May: The Shortest Unread Book on Your Shelf - The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (6/28/22)

6. June: A Book About a Journey - Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (7/5/22)

7. July: Book Set in a Country or Culture Different Than Your Own - The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George (9/25/22)

8. August: A Book Chosen by Your Friends or Family - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (9/24/22)

9. September: A Book that Represents the Reader You Want to Be - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (9/23/22)

10. October: A Book that Makes You Nervous - The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones

11. November: A Title That Starts with the First Letter of Your Name -

12. December: A Classic Book -

13. A Book in Translation -

14. A Book Bought for the Cover - A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (3/16/22)

15. A Science/Technology Nonfiction -

16. The Most Recently Acquired - The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd (6/18/22)

17. A Book About/Of Poetry - The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill (10/8/22)

18. A Book About Nature -

19. A Book Made into a Movie or TV Series -

20. A Book About a Season or Phase of Life - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (3/26/22)

21. A Book About Food or Cooking - Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (9/21/22)

22. A Book Set in Your Hometown or State -

23. A Book About Art or Artists -

24. A Modern Retelling of a Classic Book -

Seasonal - Winter
Goal 23/25 Books 92%

1. Five Kindle Books

   • Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler (1/25/22)

   • Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren (2/1/22)

   • Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren (2/16/22)

   • Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren (2/16/22)

   • Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gil (3/12/22)

2. Five Nonfiction

   • How Zoologists Organize Things by David Bainbridge (1/15/22)

   • Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedemanv (1/28/22)

   • How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (2/11/22)

   • Fuzz by Mary Roach (2/25/22)

   • Everyone You Hate is Going to Die by Daniel Sloss (2/27/22)

3. Five Fantasy/Scifi

   • Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (1/21/22)

   • Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (2/12/22)

   • Just One Damned Thing After Another (2/23/22)

   • Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (2/26/22)

   • The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg (3/8/22)

4. Five Romance

   • Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez (1/14/22)

   • All the Feels by Olivia Dad (1/19/22)

   • Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler (2/9/22)

   • An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole (2/15/22)

   • Electric Idol by Katee Robert (3/11/22)

5. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (3/16/22)

6. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (1/29/22)

7. A Jane Austen Reread - Northanger Abbey (2/18/22)

8. House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

9. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth

Seasonal - Spring
Goal 19/25 Books 76%

1. Five Nonfiction

   • Girly Drinks by Mallory O’Meara (4/16/22)

   • Thick by Tressie McMilan Cottom (5/13/22)

   • TBD

   • TBD

   • TBD

2. Five Fantasy/SciFi

   • How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (3/23/22)

   • Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (4/6/22)

   • Dead Silence by SA Barnes (4/9/22)

   • The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart (4/22/22)

   • The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (4/29/22)

3. Three Romance

   • If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy (4/2/22)

   • The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (5/14/22)

   • The No-Show by Beth O’Leary (5/20/22)

4. Finish (Three Books) Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren

   • Beautiful Secret (4/13/22)

   • Beautiful Boss (4/15/22)

   • Beautiful (4/26/22)

5. Three Middle Grade

   • The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman (3/25/22)

   • The Bookwanderers by Anna James (3/29/22)

   • The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell (4/5/22)

6. Two Buddy Read Books (CR Picks)

   • The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (5/24/22)

   • When Women were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

7. Two Random Library Picks

   • Anatomy by Dana Schwartz (5/4/22)

   • The Disasters by M.K. England (5/30/22)

8. A Jane Austen Reread

9. Seanan Maguire Selection

Seasonal - Summer
Goal 21/25 Books 80%

1. 5 Nonfiction Reads

   • A Brief History of Earth by Andrew H. Knoll (6/23/22)

   • The Palace Papers by Tina Brown (8/26/22)

   • TBD

   • TBD

   • TBD

2. 5 Romances

   • Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert (7/15/22)

   • The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (7/21/22)

   • Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren (7/27/22)

   • Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren (8/16/22)

   • Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren (8/28/22)

3. 5 Science Fiction

   • Klara and the Sun by Kazoo Ishiguro (6/25/22)

   • Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (7/23/22)

   • Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (8/9/22)

   • The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin (8/19/22)

   • TBD

4. 5 Fantasy

   • The Change by Kirsten Miller (6/29/22)

   • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (7/2/22)

   • The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller (7/6/22)

   • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (7/8/22)

   • Wonderland edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane (7/13/22)

5. 5 Young Adult and Middle Grade

   • The Minor Third by Neil Patrick Harris (7/16/22)

   • Lobizona by Romina Garber (7/22/22)

   • Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White (7/30/22)

   • Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor (8/6/22)

   • The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (8/1/22)

2022 Reading Challenges

I’m once again going to focus on challenges that appeal to my strange mood reading tendencies. My challenges are mostly homegrown (except for Unread Shelf Reading Challenge) and reflect my want to read off my own TBR (either digital or physical). I want to focus on the books that I will enjoy rather than what everyone else is talking about.

2022 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• Perpetual Books

• UnRead Shelf Project

• Seasonal TBRS: Winter TBR, Spring TBR, Summer TBR, Fall TBR

• UnRead Shelf Reading Challenge

• Kid Read Alouds

GoodReads Challenge (200) - I’m sticking with my usual 200 books for this overall goal. In 2021, I ended with 223 books which is slightly down from 2020’s 230. I still like the 200 number.

Perpetual Books (25) - I’ve done a bit of a culling when it comes to my perpetual lists page. I deleted some of the lists altogether and am focusing on the ones that appeal to be personally. We’ll see how this one goes…

UnRead Shelf (50) - My fourth year participating in this particular challenge. I did not do well at all last year. As always, I have high hopes for this!

Seasonal TBRs - Instead of strict monthly goals, I’m going to focus on seasonal goals. Unlike last year, I won’t be filling my lists with 25 specific titles, but instead use a bit of a goal framework. For example, winter’s list includes 5 Kindle books, 5 fantasy/scifi pics, 5 romances, and 5 nonfiction. I can go anywhere in those categories.

UnRead Shelf Project (24) - Another one that I didn’t quite finish last year. I’m really going to commit to doing the monthly challenge and the topical challenge.

1. January: The Book You’ve Been Putting Off Reading -

2. February: A Title You Couldn’t Resist -

3. March: A Memoir or Biography -

4. April: A Book by an Indie Published or Small Press -

5. May: The Shortest Unread Book on Your Shelf -

6. June: A Book About a Journey -

7. July: Book Set un a Country or Culture Different Than Your Own -

8. August: A Book Chosen by Your Friends or Family -

9. September: A Book that Represents the Reader You Want to Be -

10. October: A Book that Makes You Nervous -

11. November: A Title That Starts with the First Letter of Your Name -

12. December: A Classic Book -

13. A Book in Translation -

14. A Book Bought for the Cover -

15. A Science/Technology Nonfiction -

16. The Most Recently Acquired -

17. A Book About/Of Poetry -

18. A Book About Nature -

19. A Book Made into a Movie or TV Series -

20. A Book About a Season or Phase of Life -

21. A Book About Food or Cooking -

22. A Book Set in Your Hometown or State -

23. A Book About Art or Artists

24. A Modern Retelling of a Classic Book

Kid Read Alouds (20) - Continuing with this challenge again this year. We haven’t some great read aloud choices for the spring semester. And I’m sure that I’ll pick some great titles for the fall semester.

---

My rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one

2021 Reading Challenges Roundup: Completed and Failed

Once again we come to the end of another reading year and a whole bunch of reading challenges. To review, I said way back in January 2020:

“I’m going for mood reading in 2021. I went with challenges that don’t stifle my reading in any way. I want my reading challenges to feel exciting and motivating. “

And that did stay true throughout the year. I really leaned into the mood reading let the rigid idea of reading challenges fall a bit to the wayside. Here’s a quick overview of what happened with the challenges that I did set up:

2021 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge ✓

• Perpetual Books ✓

• UnRead Shelf

• MMD Summer Reading Guide ✓

• Winter TBR

• Spring TBR

• Summer TBR

• Fall TBR

• Currently Reading Podcast ✓

• UnRead Shelf Project

And now let’s break down all the individual challenges, starting with those that I completed:

Completed Challenges

Goodreads
Goal 223/200 Books 100%

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading
Goal 20/20 Books 100%

1. I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman (3/10/21)

2. Still Life by Louise Penny (5/12/21)

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (4/28/21)

4. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (5/14/21)

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (6/4/21)

6. Broken by Jenny Lawson (6/11/21)

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Dereieswicz (6/16/21)

8. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (6/15/21)

9. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks (6/23/21)

10. For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten (6/29/21)

11. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (6/30/21)

12. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (7/7/21)

13. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (7/14/21)

14. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (7/28/21)

15. World Travel by Anthony Bourdain (8/20/21)

16. Laundry Love by Patric Richardson (8/21/21)

17. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (9/11/21)

18. The Guide by Peter Heller (10/6/21)

19. Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (10/23/21)

20. Code Name Hèléne by Ariel Lawhon (11/13/21)

Perpetual Books
Goal 30/30 Books 100%

1. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (1/20/21)

2. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (1/24/21)

3. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (1/27/21)

4. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (1/27/21)

5. Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (1/29/21)

6. Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/12/21)

7. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/19/21)

8. Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/23/21)

9. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/26/21)

10. To Sir Philip With Love by Julia Quinn (3/6/21)

11. When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn (3/16/21)

12. Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt (3/20/21)

13. Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt (3/23/21)

14. Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt (3/24/21)

15. It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (3/30/21)

16. Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov (4/7/21)

17. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (4/16/21)

18. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn (4/17/21)

19. The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov (6/5/21)

20. The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov (8/7/21)

21. Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov (8/14/21)

22. Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov (8/25/21)

23. Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov (8/31/21)

24. Foundation by Isaac Asimov (9/8/21)

25. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov (9/15/21)

26. Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov (9/22/21)

27. Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov (9/28/21)

28. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (10/9/21)

29. Bird Box by Josh Malerman (10/15/21)

30. Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov (10/16/21)

Kid Read-Alouds
Goal 15/15 Books 100%

1. The Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el (1/16/21)

2. Mathilda by Roald Dahl (1/26/21)

3. Just Beyond the Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el (2/11/21)

4. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (2/18/21)

5. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (3/5/21)

6. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (3/19/21)

7. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (4/9/21)

8. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (4/23/21)

9. Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr (5/6/21)

10. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate (5/21/21)

11. Frog and Toad Collection by Arnold Lobel (5/28/21)

12. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster (6/15/21)

13. Scare Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Hiedicker (6/30/21)

14. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (7/20/21)

15. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (7/30/21)

Currently Reading Reading Challenge
Goal 12/12 Books 100%

1. Kept me turning the pages after midnight - The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (2/5/21)

2. Can't wait to give someone else - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (5/25/21)

3. Binged in a day - Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (1/15/21)

4. Makes me feel cozy - Tales from the Hinterlands by Melissa Albert (4/20/21)

5. Read with a buddy - The Widow by Fiona Barton (2/10/21)

6. Takes me to another world - Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (4/28/21)

7. Reflects the season I read it - A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer (3/5/21)

8. Someone desperately wanted me to read - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (4/3/21)

9. So good I didn't want it to end - The Toll by Neal Shusterman (5/8/21)

10. Wanted to read so badly, but then it got lost in my TBR - The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1/26/21)

11. I picked up randomly in the library or bookstore because it called to me - The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (5/22/21)

12. Everyone is loving on Bookstagram, podcasts, or Goodreads - Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (3/12/21)

Failed Challenges

UnRead Shelf
Goal 26/50 Books 50%

1. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (1/13/21)

2. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (1/14/21)

3. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (1/17/21)

4. Sanctum by Madeleine Roux (1/23/21)

5. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (1/27/21)

6. Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (1/29/21)

7. Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/12/21)

8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (2/17/21)

9. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/19/21)

10. Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/26/21)

11. The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (2/27/21)

12. When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn (3/16/21)

13. It’s In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (3/30/21)

14. Outlawed by Anna North (4/6/21)

15. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (4/13/21)

16. Lady Mechanika Vol. 5 (4/21/21)

17. Lady Mechanika Vol. 6 (4/23/21)

18. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (4/24/21)

19. A Night Like This by Julia Quinn (4/27/21)

20. Still Life by Louise Penny (5/12/21)

21. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn (5/26/21)

22. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (10/13/21)

23. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (10/26/21)

24. In a Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (10/27/21)

25. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (11/5/21)

26. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (11/27/21)

Fall Seasonal
Goal 8/25 Books 0%

1. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (10/8/21)

2. Girls Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare

   • The Wallflower Wager (10/2/21)

   • The Bride Bet

3. The Woods are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins (10/5/21)

4. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

5. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (10/9/21)

6. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

7. The Guide by Peter Heller (10/6/21)

8. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (10/13/21)

9. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca (12/21/21)

10. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow (10/27/21)

11. The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

12. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kristin Bakis

13. Underground Airlines by Ben Winters

14. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

15. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

16. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

17. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon (11/13/21)

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

19. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

20. A Court of Throne sand Roses by Sarah J. Maas

21. The Witches by Stacy Schiff

22. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

23. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

24. Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

25. Rereads

    • Sunshine by Robin McKinley

    • The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (10/24/21)

Unread Shelf Project Reading Challenge
Goal 11/24 Books 16.7%

1. January: High Expectations - Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (1/13/21)

2. February: Got for free - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (2/17/21)

3. March: Bought on a trip -

4. April: Bought from used bookstore - Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (4/24/21)

5. May: Bought as a new release -

6. June: Bought in a spending spree - Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (10/13/21)

7. July: Bought for the cover -

8. August: From an independent bookstore -

9. September: Want to learn from -

10. October: Secretly afraid of -

11. November: Published before 2000 -

12. December: Reminds you of childhood -

13. More than 500 pages -

14. Impulse buy -

15. On the shelf longer than a year - The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn (5/26/21)

16. Author you've never read before - The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (10/26/21)

17. Bought because of a recommendation -

18. Given to you that you didn't ask for -

19. Got for a special occasion - Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (11/5/21)

20. Favorite genre - A Night Like This by Julia Quinn (4/27/21)

21. Bought because of the hype - Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (11/27/21)

22. From a Little Free Library -

23. Most recently acquired - The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (2/27/21)

24. Backlist title by an author with a newer release available - Sanctum by Madeleine Roux (1/23/21)

Summer Seasonal
Goal 12/25 Books 40%

1. Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

2. Troy by Stephen Fry

3. World Travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain (8/20/21)

4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers (9/11/21)

5. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (7/7/21)

6. For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten (6/29/21)

7. The Guide by Peter Heller

8. Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson (8/21/21)

9. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

10. Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

11. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (7/28/21)

12. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (7/14/21)

13. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019 (9/17/21)

14. Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw Series by Michelle Hodkin

    • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)

    • The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1)

    • The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2)

15. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

16. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May (7/30/21)

17. Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer

18. The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks (6/23/21)

19. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (6/30/21)

20. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

21. Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens

    • The Untamed Bride

    • The Elusive Bride

    • The Brazen Bride

    • The Reckless Bride

22. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

    • The Thousandth Floor

    • The Dazzling Heights

23. Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

24. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

25. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (6/25/21)

Winter Seasonal
Goal 14/25 Books 56%

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (1/17/21)

2. Still Life by Louise Penny (own)

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (1/15/21)

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (1/24/21)

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (own)

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux

   • Sanctum (1/23/21)

   • Catacomb DNFed

   • Novellas DNFed

   • Escape from Asylum DNFed

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas (library on hold)

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen (1/23/21)

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (library on hold)

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang (1/12/21)

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (1/14/21)

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (library on hold)

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow (2/5/21)

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (2/19/21)

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane (2/3/21)

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke (1/16/21)

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (library on hold)

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (own)

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (own)

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (library on hold)

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (library on hold)

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (own)

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2/13/21)

24. Lock In by John Scalzi (1/30/21)

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (1/20/21)

Spring Seasonal
Goal 12/25 Books 32%

1. Foundation by Isaace Asimov

2. Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (4/28/21)

4. Lady Mechanika series

   • Volume 5: La Belle Dame Sans Merci (4/21/21)

   • Volume 6: Sangre (4/23/21)

5. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (6/4/21)

6. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

7. A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz (6/16/21)

8. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

9. Experiemntal Film by Gemma Files

10. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

11. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

12. Broken by Jenny Lawson (6/11/21)

13. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

14. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

15. Outlawed by Anna North (4/6/21)

16. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (4/13/21)

17. Still Life by Louise Penny (5/12/21)

18. Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn

    • It’s In His Kiss (3/30/21)

    • On the Way to the Wedding (4/16/21)

    • Happily Ever After (4/17/21)

19. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

20. Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster (5/5/21)

21. The Toll by Neal Shusterman (5/8/21)

22. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

23. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (6/15/21)

24. Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr

25. The Nest by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney

2021 Reading Challenges Mid-Year Update

After the disaster that was 2020, I scaled way back with my reading commitments for 2021. My 2020 reading was decent (230 books!), but I felt like I was committing myself to reading a lot of things that I wasn’t super interested in. I decided to fall back on my mood reading process for 2021 and limit my reading challenges. I kept a few around, but only ones that fit in with what I wanted to do. Let’s see how I’m doing midway through the year.

• Goodreads 104/200 - I don’t count this in my update really, but here’s where I’m at overall.

• Perpetual Books 19/30 63.3%**

• UnRed Shelf Project 21/50 42%

• Modern Mrs. Darcy Past Summer Reading Guides 9/20 45%

• Winter Seasonal 14/25. 56%

• Spring Seasonal. 12/25 48%

• Summer Seasonal 2/25. 8%

• Fall Seasonal /25

• Currently Reading 12/12 100%

• UnRead Shelf 7/24. 29.2%*

• Kid’s Read Alouds 12/15. 80%**

Total Challenges  1/10 10%

Total Reading Slots 108/251. 43%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Letting my moods pick my next read has really been helped this year so far. My reading has hit a steady pace and I’m picking up so many books that I’m excited for. I think the backing off of challenges has really helped me be more content with my reading life.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2021 Reading Challenges

Last year I had my second to highest reading year ever and it was great, but I really really needed to change up my reading challenge strategy again.

I’m going for mood reading in 2021. I went with challenges that don’t stifle my reading in any way. I want my reading challenges to feel exciting and motivating.

2021 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• Perpetual Books

• UnRead Shelf

• MMD Summer Reading Guide

• Winter TBR

• Spring TBR

• Summer TBR

• Fall TBR

• Currently Reading Podcast

• UnRead Shelf Project

GoodReads Challenge (200) - Even though I blew past 200 this past year, I am not convinced that means I should up my challenge number. I still think 200 is a respectable number to shoot for.

Perpetual Books (30) - Really going to try and knock off some of these books from my big lists!

UnRead Shelf (50) - My third year participating in this particular challenge. I did not do well at all last year, I’m hoping that a library ban for the first few months will refocus my reading to the Unread shelves.

MMD Summer Reading Guide (20) - I always love to see what Anne Bogel’s highlights each summer. But I never actually read all the books in the year (or even want to read all the books in that year’s guide). So, I thought I would try to pick 20 books from across all the years of the guide to read this year.

Seasonal TBRs - Instead of strict monthly goals, I’m going to focus on 25 books that I am excited to read each season. These can be from my own shelves,

Winter TBR (25)

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (own)

2. Still Life by Louise Penny (own)

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (library)

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (library on hold)

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (own)

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux (own)

   • Sanctum

   • Catacomb

   • Novellas

   • Escape from Asylum

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas (library on hold)

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen (library)

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (library on hold)

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang (library ebook)

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (own)

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (library on hold)

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow (library on hold)

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (own)

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane (library on hold)

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke (library due)

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (library on hold)

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (own)

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (own)

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (library on hold)

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (library on hold)

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (own)

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (library on hold)

24. Lock In by John Scalzi (own ebook)

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (own ebook)

Spring TBR (25)

Summer TBR (25)

Fall TBR (25)

Currently Reading Podcast (12) - I love listening to the Currently Reading podcast and I even became a Patron this past year. I didn’t join the challenge last year, but I think this year’s focus on mood reading will play well with this challenge.

1. Kept me turning the pages after midnight -

2. Can't wait to give someone else -

3. Binged in a day -

4. Makes me feel cozy -

5. Read with a buddy -

6. Takes me to another world -

7. Reflects the season I read it -

8. Someone desperately wanted me to read -

9. So good I didn't want it to end -

10. Wanted to read so badly, but then it got lost in my TBR -

11. I picked up randomly in the library or bookstore because it called to me -

12. Everyone is loving on Bookstagram, podcasts, or Goodreads -

UnRead Shelf Project (24) - Another one that I didn’t quite finish last year. I’m really going to commit to doing the monthly challenge and the topical challenge.

1. January: High Expectations -

2. February: Got for free -

3. March: Bought on a trip -

4. April: Bought from used bookstore -

5. May: Bought as a new release -

6. June: Bough in a spending spree -

7. July: Bought for the cover -

8. August: From an independent bookstore -

9. September: Want to learn from -

10. October: Secretly afraid of -

11. November: Published before 2000 -

12. December: Reminds you of childhood -

13. More than 500 pages -

14. Impulse buy -

15. On the shelf longer than a year -

16. {Author you've never read before -

17. Bought because of a recommendation -

18. Given to you that you didn't ask for -

19. Got for a special occasion -

20. Favorite genre -

21. Bought because of the hype -

22. From a Little Free Library -

23. Most recently acquired -

24. Backlist title by an author with a newer release available -

Kid Read Alouds (15) - We are already doing some fun read-alouds for homeschool. I have a goal of 15 read-alouds for 2021. We have 7 picked out for the spring semester and will be adding to the list.

1. The Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el

2. Mathilda by Roald Dahl

3. The Theives of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence

4. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

5. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

6. Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr

7. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

---

In having some big conversations with J, I’ve decided to slightly change my book rating system. Previously, my star ratings broke down as:

• 5 stars - loved it

• 4 stars - liked it

• 3 stars - not for me

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - didn’t finish

This has resulted in a lot of 4 and 3 stars, but it was throwing off my distribution a bit. I took a few days to think about how to change the system, and have come up with this new rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one

2020 Reading Challenge Roundup - Failed

Perpetual Books
Goal 20/30 Books 66.7%

1. The Hunger by Alma Katsu (1/17/20)

2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (1/18/20)

3. Kindred by Octavia Butler (3/6/20)

4. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (3/26/20)

5. How to Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran (3/27/20)

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (5/7/20)

7. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (5/8/20)

8. Asylum by Madeleine Roux (6/7/20)

9. The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (7/10/20)

10. The Witches are Coming by Lindy West (7/29/20)

11. Delirium by Lauren Oliver (8/21/20)

12. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (8/22/20)

13. The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov (8/30/20)

14. Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt (8/2/20)

15. Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt (8/16/20)

16. Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (8/29/20)

17. Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt (9/2/20)

18. Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt (9/30/20)

19. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (10/18/20)

20. The Troop by Nick Cutter (11/17/20)

UnRead Shelf
Goal 30/50 Books 60%

1. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (1/21/20)

2. Lady Mechanika La Dama de la Muerte (1/29/20)

3. Lady Mechanika Vol. 4 (1/30/20)

4. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (2/7/20)

5. The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London (2/14/20)

6. The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London (2/28/20)

7. The Seduction of Lady X by Julia London (3/30/20)

8. Well Met by Jen DeLuca (3/28/20)

9. 1776 by David McCullough (4/14/20)

10. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace (4/22/20)

11. Things in Jars by Jess Kidd (5/6/20)

12. The Confessions of a Duchess by Nicola Cornick (5/13/20)

13. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (5/16/20)

14. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (5/17/20)

15. The Scandals of an Innocent by Nicola Cornick (5/27/20)

16. The Undoing of a Lady by Nicola Cornick (5/29/20)

17. Whisper of Scandal by Nicola Cornick (6/5/20)

18. Asylum by Madeleine Roux (6/7/20)

19. The Library of Legends by Janie Chang (6/17/20)

20. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (6/18/20)

21. The Paris Hours by Alex George (6/26/20)

22. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (7/8/20)

23. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (7/17/20)

24. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (7/20/20)

25. Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt (8/2/20)

26. The End of October by Lawrence Wright (8/14/20)

27. Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt (8/16/20)

28. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (8/19/20)

29. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (9/29/20)

30. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab (12/2/20)

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading
Goal 13/20 Books 65%

1. Beach Read by Emily Henry (8/9/20)

2. Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (10/21/20)

3. The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (6/16/20)

4. Clad When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (7/12/20)

5. Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

6. The End of October by Lawrence Wright (8/14/20)

7. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

8. The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

9. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (10/23/20)

10. I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

11. I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos (6/28/20)

12. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (9/26/20)

13. Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

14. Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

15. Lovely War by Julie Berry (10/16/20)

16. Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel

17. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (7/17/20)

18. Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler (8/4/20)

19. Sea Wife by Amity Gaige

20. Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

21. Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia

22. The Switch by Beth O’Leary

23. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

24. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

25. Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning

26. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (7/22/20)

27. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

28. Writers and Lovers by Lily KIng

Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Previous Years
Goal 3/20 Books 15%

1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. Beartown by Fredrik Backman

3. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

4. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

5. Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini

6. The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

7. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

8. Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman

9. The Ensemble by Aja Gabel

10. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

11. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

12. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

13. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

14. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

15. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

16. Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

17. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (6/22/20)

18. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

19. I was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

20. First Impressions by Charlie Lovett

21. The Giver by Lois Lowry

22. The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

23. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

24. Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

25. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

26. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

27. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

28. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

29. Honeymoon in Paris by Jojo Moyes

30. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

31. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

32. At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider

33. Still Life by Louise Penny

34. Cooked by Michael Pollan

35. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

36. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

37. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

38. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

39. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

40. The Gown by Jennifer Robson

41. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

42. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

43. Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein

44. Holes by Louis Sachar

45. Love Walked in by Marisa de los Santos

46. I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos

47. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

48. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

49. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

50. Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

51. The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

52. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

53. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

54. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (10/28/20)

55. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (7/21/20)

56. The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

Goodreads to Read Random
Goal 10/12 Books 83.3%

1. January - Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

2. February - The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London (2/28/20)

3. March - Archaeology from Space by Sarah Parcak (4/8/20)

4. April - Planetfall by Emma Newman (4/17/20)

5. May - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (5/8/20)

6. June - The Daughter of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe (6/30/20)

7. July - Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (7/28/20)

8. August - The Ship of Dreams by Catharine Russell (8/11/20)

9. September - Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt (9/2/20)

10. October - Dark Desires by Eve Silver (10/17/20)

11. November - Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (11/6/20)

12. December - Still Life by Louise Penny

May Theme
Goal 4/6 Books 66.7%

1. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (9/29/20)

2. Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke (8/12/20)

3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (5/15/20)

4. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

5. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Gracia Marquez

6. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (10/28/20)

August Theme
Goal 4/6 Books 66.7%

1. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (8/22/20)

2. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (10/25/20)

3. Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams (8/7/20)

4. Sanctum by Madeleine Roux

5. The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender (10/24/20)

6. The Secrets of Drearcliff School by Kim Newman

September Theme
Goal 1/6 Books 16.7%

1. Beartown by Fredrik Backman

2. Her Body and Other Parties by Carman Maria Machado

3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

4. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (9/12/20)

5. With Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

6. TBD

November Theme
Goal 1/6 Books 16.7%

1. The Address Book by Deirdre Mask (11/13/20)

2. The Buried by Peter Hessler

3. The Eye of the Hurricane by Nathaniel Philbrick

4. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by

5. TBD

6. TBD

2020 Reading Challenge Roundup - Completed

TBR Jar Random
Goal 12/12 Books 100%

1. January - The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn (4/7/20)

2. February - The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams (4/25/20)

3. March - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (3/23/20)

4. April - The Five by Hallie Rubenhold (5/26/20)

5. May - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (5/30/20)

6. June - Hollowland by Amanda Hocking (6/3/20)

7. July - Pines by Blake Crouch (7/26/20)

8. August - Delirium by Lauren Oliver (8/21/20)

9. September - The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller (10/22/20)

10. October - A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore (10/7/20)

11. November - There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (11/11/20)

12. December - Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (12/28/20)

December Theme
Goal 6/6 Books 100%

1. A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale (12/8/20)

2. The Christmas Princess by Patricia McLinn (12/15/20)

3. Wrapped Up for Christmas by Katlyn Duncan (12/15/20)

4. Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas (12/26/20)

5. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (12/22/20)

6. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (12/27/20)

October Theme
Goal 6/6 Books 100%

1. The Only Good Indians by Stephan Graham Jones (10/3/20)

2. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (10/18/20)

3. Devolution by Max Brooks (10/14/20)

4. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali (10/10/20)

5. Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (11/6/20)

6. Color Me In by Natasha Diaz (11/25/20)

Picture Books
Goal: 100/100 Books 100%

1. Author A - The Coolsville Contraption Contest by Annie Auerbach (January)

2. Title A - Animals by Emily Bolam (January)

3. Author B - Poor Puppy and Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel (January)

4. Title B .- Big Dog and Little Dog Going for a Walk by Dav Pilkey (January)

5. Author C - The Moon is a Silver Pond by Sara Cassidy (February)

6. Title C - Cold Snap Eileen Spinelli (January)

7. Author D - First Day at Zoo School by Sarah Dillard (March)

8. Title D - Don’t Lick the Dog by Wendy Wahman (January)

9. Author E - Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (October)

10. Title E - Eight Days Gone by Linda McReynolds (January)

11. Author F - Pig and Cat are Pals by Douglas Florian (March)

12. Title F - Firebears, the Rescue Team by Rhonda Gowler Greene (February)

13. Author G - Oi Frog! by Kes Gray (February)

14. Title G - The Greedy Python by Eric Carle (January)

15. Author H - Danny and the Dinosaur in the Big City by Syd Hoff (January)

16. Title H - Have You Seen My Cat by Eric Carle (January)

17. Author I - Hooray for Fall by Kazuo Iwamura (October)

18. Title I - The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani (January)

19. Author J - Penguin Problems by Jory John and Lane Smith (October)

20. Title J - Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor (January)

21. Author K - M is for Music by Kathleen Krull (July)

22. Title K - The Knight Who Said “No!” by Lucy Rowland (February)

23. Author L - Pond by Jim LaMarche (July)

24. Title L - Little Miss Muffet by Iza Trapani (January)

25. Author M - Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy (January)

26. Title M - The Mysterious Giant of Barlette by Tomie DePaola (January)

27. Author N - 100 Bugs by Kate Narita (July)

28. Title N - The Nature Girls by Aki (July)

29. Author O - Chicken in the Kitchen by Nnedi Okorafor (October)

30. Title O - Our World is Relative by Julie Sooy (January)

31. Author P - The Hallo-wiener by Dav Pilkey (January)

32. Title P - Pandora by Victoria Turnbull (January)

33. Author Q - Jo MacDonald Had a Garden by Mary Quattlebaum (November)

34. Title Q - The Quiet Crocodile Goes to the Beach by Natacha Adnriamirado (March)

35. Author R - Hamster’s Don’t Fight Fires! by Andrew Root (January)

36. Title R - Rooster is Off to See the World by Eric Carle (January)

37. Author S - Does Frankenstein Get Hungry? by John Solimine (January)

38. Title S - The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose (January)

39. Author T - Cat & Mouse by Britta Teckentrup (February)

40. Title T - The Tale of Tam Linn by Lari Don (January)

41. Author U - Storm by Sam Usher (November)

42. Title U - Uh-oh! by R. Schuyler Hooke (January)

43. Author V - The Pinata that the Farm Maiden Hung by Samantha Vamos (January)

44. Title V - The Very Ugly Bug by Liz Pichon (July)

45. Author W - The Roll-away Pumpkin by Junia Wonders (January)

46. Title W - What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot by Michelle Robinson (January)

47. Author Y - I am a Story by Dan Yaccarino (November)

48. Title Y - Yucky Worms by Vivian French (July)

49. Author Z - The Moon Keeper by Zosienka (November)

50. Title Z - Zin Zin Zin by Lloyd Moss (July)

51. Duck! by Megan McKinlay (January)

52. Duck’s Vacation by Gilad Soffer (January)

53. The Goodnight Train Rolls On! by June Sobel (January)

54. Henry in Love by Peter McCarty (January)

55. I Do Not Like Al’s Hat by Erin McGill (January)

56. Let’s Go, Bobby! by Ruth Wielockx (January)

57. Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro (January)

58. Pheobe and Digger and Tricia Springstubb (January)

59. Shiver Me Letters by June Sobel (January)

60. The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Christmas 123 by Eric Carle (January)

61. Mimi and Bear in the Snow by Janee Trasler (February)

62. Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker (February)

63. The Great Pumpkin Contest by Angela Rozelaar (February)

64. Mother Goose of Pudding Lane by Christopher Raschka (February)

65. Pete with No Pants by Rowboat Watkins (February)

66. A Piece of Cake by LeUyen Pham (February)

67. The Science Fair at the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler (February)

68. Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten! by Lisa Robinson (March)

69. Aquarium by Cynthia Alonso (March)

70. Out! by Arree Chung (March

71. The Book About Nothing by Mike Bender (March)

72. The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds (March)

73. Pete with No Pants by Rowboat Watkins (March)

74. Mother Goose of Pudding Lane by Chris Raschka (March)

75. At the Supermarket by Anne Rockwell (March)

76. The Sun Played Hide-and-Seek by Brian P. Cleary (March)

77. Pine and Book Blast Off by Ross Burach (March)

78. Polar Bear Island by Lindsay Bonilla (March)

79. Old MacDonald Had a Dragon by Ken Baker (March)

80. Bear’s House of Books by Poppy Bishop (March)

81. Mind Your Monsters by Catherine Bailey (March)

82. How to Care for Your T-Rex by Ken Baker (March)

83. The Magic Word by Mac Barnett (March)

84. How to Find an Elephant by Kate Banks (March)

85. Ghastly Ghosts by Teresa Bateman (March)

86. Moon by Stacy McAnulty (June)

87. Sun by Stacy McAnulty (June)

88. A River by Marc Martin (July)

89. In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming (July)

90. Pond Circle by Betsy Franco (July)

91. In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming (July)

92. Turtle Splash by Cathryn Falwell (July)

93. The Pond by Nicola Davies (July)

94. The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow (July)

95. Math Fables by Greg Tang (July)

96. How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander (July)

97. Math Attack by Joan Horton (July)

98. Pigeon Math by Asia Citro (July)

99. This is a Book to Read with a Worm by Jodie Wheeler-Toppen (November)

100. Bear Out There by Jacob Grant (November)

July Theme
Goal 6/6 Books 100%

1. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (10/23/20)

2. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow (7/24/20)

3. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (7/28/20)

4. The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (10/27/20)

5. The Guest List by Lucy Foley (7/19/20)

6. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (7/29/20)

June Theme
Goal 6/6 Books. 100%

1. Lovely War by Julie Berry (10/16/20)

2. The Paris Hours by Alex George (6/26/20)

3. Conjure Women by Afia Atakora (7/7/20)

4. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (7/20/20)

5. Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power (9/6/20)

6. A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer (6/23/20)

Ebooks
Goal 50/50 Books 100%

1. Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid (1/4/20)

2. The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey (1/29/20)

3. Wool by Hugh Howey (1/31/20)

4. The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara (2/5/20)

5. The Christmas Secret by Julia London (2/15/20)

6. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid (3/19/20)

7. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (3/23/20)

8. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (3/31/20)

9. The Last Debutante by Julia London (4/10/20)

10. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (4/12/20)

11. The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis (4/15/20)

12. Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb (4/18/20)

13. Grave Minder by Melissa Marr (4/24/20)

14. Saltwater Kisses by Krista Lakes (4/26/20)

15. The Deep by Rivers Solomon (4/28/20)

16. After the Cure by Deirdre Gould (4/29/20)

17. Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen (5/3/20)

18. Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller (5/15/20)

19. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (5/7/20)

20. The Secrets of a Courtesan by Nicola Cornick (5/12/20)

21. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (5/20/20)

22. The Five by Hallie Rubenhold (5/26/20)

23. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (5/30/20)

24. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (5/28/20)

25. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking (6/3/20)

26. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (6/9/20)

27. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (6/14/20)

28. The City We Became by NK Jemisin (6/16/20)

29. The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley (6/20/20)

30. Hollowmen by Amanda Hocking (6/11/20)

31. The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (6/24/20)

32. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (6/25/20)

33. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (6/27/20)

34. I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos (6/28/20)

35. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (6/29/20)

36. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (7/2/20)

37. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (7/5/20)

38. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (7/12/20)

39. Network Effect by Martha Wells (7/15/20)

40. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (7/22/20)

41. Galatea by Madeline Miller (7/24/20)

42. The Witches are Coming by Lindy West (7/29/20)

43. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow (7/24/20)

44. Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler (8/4/20)

45. Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams (8/7/20)

46. Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau (8/15/20)

47. The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov (8/30/20)

48. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown (9/4/20)

49. Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland (9/9/20)

50. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (9/12/20)

Library
Goal 50/50 Books 100%

1. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness (1/11/20)

2. The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan (1/5/20)

3. Daybreak by Brian Ralph (1/8/20)

4. Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (1/15/20)

5. Billie Holiday by Carlos Sampayo and Jose Munoz (1/22/20)

6. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (1/24/20)

7. Wolfpack by Abby Wambach (1/25/20)

8. The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas (1/28/20)

9. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez (2/4/20)

10. Drive-Thru Dreams by Adam Chandler (2/12/20)

11. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2/15/20)

12. Mississippi River Tragedies by Christine A. Klein and Sandra B. Zellmer (2/18/20)

13. I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib (2/19/20)

14. The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer (2/19/20)

15. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty (2/21/20)

16. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (2/22/20)

17. Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker (2/26/20)

18. Frida Kahlo by Maria Hesse (2/27/20)

19. The Night Country by Melissa Albert (3/4/20)

20. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (3/7/20)

21. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams (3/13/20)

22. Vox by Christina Dalcher (3/14/20)

23. Mythos by Stephen Fry (3/17/20)

24. After the Flood by Kassandra Montag (3/21/20)

25. Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen (3/22/20)

26. Fever by Lauren DeStefano (3/26/20)

27. The Story of the World in 100 Species by Christopher Lloyd (3/29/20)

28. The Vagina Bible by Jen Gunter (4/3/20)

29. Planetfall by Emma Newman (4/17/20)

30. The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn (4/7/20)

31. Redshirts by John Scalzi (4/4/20)

32. Archaeology from Space by Sarah Parcak (4/8/20)

33. The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams (4/25/20)

34. The Deep by Alma Katsu (5/22/20)

35. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaur by Steve Brusatte (6/10/20)

36. Sever by Lauren DeStefano (6/6/20)

37. Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen (6/12/20)

38. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Washington (6/13/20)

39. When Women Ruled by Kara Cooney (6/15/20)

40. Bibliophile by Jane Mount (6/21/20)

41. A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer (6/23/20)

42. Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane (6/22/20)

43. The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Hoew (6/30/20)

44. Once & Future Vol. 1 (7/4/20)

45. Conjure Women by Afia Atakora (7/7/20)

46. Pandemic 1918 by Catharine Arnold (7/14/20)

47. The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (7/10/20)

48. On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen (7/18/20)

49. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (7/21/20)

50. Pines by Blake Crouch (7/26/20)

January Theme
Goal 6/6 Books 100%

1. Wool by Hugh Howey (1/31/20)

2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (1/18/20)

3. Vox by Christina Dalcher (3/14/20)

4. Billie Holiday by Carlos Sampayo and Jose Munoz (1/22/20)

5. The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara (2/5/20)

6. I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib (2/19/20)

February Theme
Goal 6/6 Books 100%

1. The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London (2/14/20)

2. The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London (2/28/20)

3. The Seduction of Lady X by Julia London (3/30/20)

4. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2/15/20)

5. Kindred by Octavia Butler (3/6/20)

6. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (3/7/20)

March Theme
Goal 6/6 Books 100%

1. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay (3/26/20)

2. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran (3/27/20)

3. The Vagina Bible by Jen Gunter (4/3/20)

4. The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams (3/14/20)

5. Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen (3/22/20)

6. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (3/31/20)

April Theme
Goal 6/6 Books. 100%

1. The Oracle Code (5/24/20)

2. Rat Queens Vol. 7 (4/5/20)

3. The Complete Phonogram (4/4/20)

4. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (5/16/20)

5. Things in Jars by Jess Kidd (5/6/20)

6. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace (4/22/20)

2020 Reading Challenges

After thinking about my 2019 reading challenges, I’ve decided to go a completely different direction this coming year. In 2019, I signed up for a ton of challenges with so many reading slots. I do like variety. And I upped by Goodreads challenge number to 250. Things went well, but in November I started thinking about the amount of stress and anxiety I was putting on myself. I found that I was focusing on books to fill challenge slots as opposed to the books that I really wanted to read. Everything worked out fine, but I need to shake things up this year. So…

No more reading challenges! Okay. Not completely true. I am not going to sign up for any specific reading challenges (scif, romance, etc). I am not going to sign up for any varied reading challenges (Modern Mrs. Darcy, Popsugar, etc). I’m going back to basics and focus on mood reading and my own shelves. But I am going to have a small list of personal challenges:

2020 Reading Challenges

• Picture Books

• Goodreads Challenge

• Perpetual Books

• UnRead Shelf

• Library Books

• Ebooks

• Goodreads To Read Random

• TBR Jar Random

• Tournament of Books

• Monthly Themes

Picture Books (100) - I’m not following an outside reading challenge, but just creating my own. We are shooting for 26 books A to Z Authors, 26 book A to Z Titles, and 48 random books.

GoodReads Challenge (200) - In 2019, I started with 175 books and then quickly upped it to 200, then 215, and ended with 250 books. I sped through so many books last year. I’m going to continue making a lot of time for reading, but will be lowering my goal just a bit. For 2020, I’m hoping to read 200 books.

Perpetual Books (30) - So many books I want to get to on these lists. I’m hoping to read 30 books.

UnRead Shelf (50) - I really need to focus on my unread shelves. I’m hoping to read 50 books from the physical shelves. As of January 1st, I have 120 books sitting in the TV room to read. Any physical books that I acquire (e.g. Book of the Month selections) will be added to these shelves. Kindle and ebooks are not counted in this total. UnRead Shelf Top 10:

1. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

2. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

4. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

5. Scandalous Women of the Ton Series by Nicola Cornick

6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomikas Adeyemi

7. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

8. Well Met by Jen DeLuca

9. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

10. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Library Books (50) - Obviously I will be continuing to utilize the local library. I’m going to set a 50 books challenge on library books.

Ebooks (50) - I have way too many ebooks sitting in Books and on my Kindle app. I really need to read some of these. I’m shooting for 50 ebooks.

Goodreads To Read Random (12) - I currently have ____ books listed on my Goodreads To Read shelf. That’s just way too many. There’s so many that I forget what’s even on there. On the last day of every month, I’m going to use a random number generator to pick a book of the list. (Obviously if the pick is part of a series, I will read the first book [or whatever number I am currently on] and not read the one picked) That’s 12 books (at least) for this challenge.

TBR Jar Random (12) - Similar to the Goodreads To Read Random challenge, I have a cute little TBR jar that I have placed book titles into. These titles can be books I run across on podcasts, bookpages, etc, from my own shelves, in ebook form, or from the perpetual lists. I’m going to random pull out a title the last day of every month.

Monthly Themes (72) - Overall I want to move back to mood reading, but I do want to include some fun themes throughout the year. I’ve gone through and picked two themes for each month of the year. For each theme, I am hoping to read three relevant books. So that’s six theme books a month for a total of 72 books for the year. Books selected for this can cross over to other challenges.

• January - Dystopian/Apocalypse Reads; Focus on a Person (fiction or nonfiction)

• February - Romance; Black History Month

• March - Women’s History Month; Mysteries

• April - Graphic Novels and Comics; New Books (published in 2019/2020)

• May - Fairy Tales; Classics

• June - Historical Fiction; Young Adult

• July - Fantasy; Set in Other Countries (England and US excluded)

• August - School Stories; Science Fiction

• September - Banned Books; Hispanic Heritage Month

• October - Spooky Reads; About a Family

• November - Nonfiction Reads; Native American Voices

• December - Holiday Themed Reads; Last Chance Reads

Here’s hoping to a more relaxed reading year in 2020!

2019 Reading Challenge Roundup - Completed

Modern Mrs. Darcy
Goal: 12/12 Books 100%

1. Book I’ve Been Meaning to Read - How Long ‘til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin (4/27/19)

2. Book About a Topic that Fascinates Me - Eruption by Steve Olson (2/23/19)

3. Book in the Backlist of a Favorite Author - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (3/14/19)

4. Book Recommended by Someone with Great Taste - The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (4/12/19)

5. Three Books by the Same Author - Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (4/27/19)

6. Three Books by the Same Author - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green (8/25/19)

7. Three Books by the Same Author - Paper Towns by John Green (3/15/19)

8. Book You Choose for the Cover - Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (6/5/19)

9. Book by an Author Who is New to You - Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi (5/6/19)

10. Book in Translation - The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury (5/7/19)

11. Book Outside Your (Genre) Comfort Zone - A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa (3/18/19)

12. Book Published Before You Were Born - Persuasion by Jane Austen (12/23/19)

For the Love Ebooks
Goal: 30/30 Books 100%

1. And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor (1/16/19)

2. Craven Manor by Darcy Coates (2/8/19)

3. A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang (2/22/19)

4. Heart-shaped Box by Joe Hill (2/20/19)

5. Growing Season by Melanie Lageschulte (3/27/19)

6. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (3/30/19)

7. The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown (4/6/19)

8. The Winter Duchess by Jillian Eaton (4/19/19)

9. The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy (5/7/19)

10. A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean (5/22/19)

11. Secrets of the Greek Revival by Eva Pohler (6/7/19)

12. Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor (8/17/19)

13. The Tower Formerly Known as Sears by Lisa M. Lilly (10/2/19)

14. Life Among the Dead by Daniel Cotton (10/8/19)

15. The Second Deluge by Garrett P. Serviss (11/6/19)

16. When a Rogue Loves a Woman by Samantha Holt (11/12/19)

17. Waiting for a Rogue Like You by Samantha Holt (11/19/19)

18. What’s a Rogue Got to Do With It by Samantha Holt (11/19/19)

19. The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane (11/22/19)

20. A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams (11/26/19)

21. The Christmas Layover by Robert Tate Miller (11/25/19)

22. Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala (11/29/19)

23. My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable (11/29/19)

24. Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie-Nicole Bates (11/29/19)

25. Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken (11/28/19)

26. Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken (11/28/19)

27. Falling for Her Bachelor by Robin Bielman (12/4/19)

28. Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman (12/7/19)

29. A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton (12/8/19)

30. This Christmas by Jeannie Moon (12/14/19)

Monthly Motif
Goal: 12/12 Books 100%

1. January: New to You Author - Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon (1/24/19)

2. February: Cover Love - A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang (2/22/19)

3. March: Royalty, Kingdom, Empires, Governments - A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa (3/18/19)

4. April: Crack the Case (Mystery) - Tulle Death Do Us Part by Annette Blair (4/9/19)

5. May: One Sitting Reads - The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (5/17/19)

6. June: Diversify Your Reading - Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey (6/18/19)

7. July: Through the Years - The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes (7/9/19)

8. August: Mode of Transportation - The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (8/4/19)

9. September: Animal, Number, Color, Name - The Girl in Red by Christina Henry (8/27/19)

10. October: Tricks and Trades (theater, amusement park, circus, or involving magic) - Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine (10/11/19)

11. November: Seasons, Elements, and Weather - The Christmas Bride by Hope Ramsay (11/24/19)

12. December: Last Chance - 25 Days ‘til Christmas by Poppy Alexander (12/13/19)

Monthly Keyword
Goal: 12/12 Books 100%

1. January (Snow, Winter, Year, Jewel, Hat, Dance, Top, Car, Why) - A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh (1/22/19)

2. February (Red, Love, Heart, Rose, Candy, Hope, Bottom, Walk, Who) - Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (2/20/19)

3. March (Shamrock, Luck, Irish/Ireland, Pot, Gold, Faith, Emerald, Carry, What) - Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix (3/19/19)

4. April (Shower, Time, Bunny/Hare, Basket, Cross, Hunt, Parade, All, Where) - Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (4/27/19)

5. May (Mother, Daisy, Memorial/Memory, You, Mountain, Day, Wind, Sky, When) - Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (5/29/19)

6. June (Dress, Father, Man, Woman, Flag, Happy, Some, Bride, How) - The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (6/26/19)

7. July (Fire, Work/s, Stream, Lake, Field, Family, Cloud, Bear, Because) - The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick (9/7/19)

8. August (Sand, Swim, Hot, Ride, There, Few, Sad, Camera, They) - The Hot Zone by Richard Preston (9/17/19)

9. September (Book, Here, Back, School, Speak, Train, Leave, Paper, Them) - The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (9/10/19)

10. October (Fall, Wolf, Ghost, Witch, Halloween, Scare, Night, Creature, He) - Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (10/4/19)

11. November (Leave/s or Leaf, Thanks, Food, Family, Share, Dream, Live, Have, She) - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal (11/20/19)

12. December (Star, Night, Christmas, Angel, Gift/Present, Tree, Wise, Dear, It) - Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler (12/11/19)

Random TBR Pick
Goal: 12/12 Books 100%

1. January - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (1/30/19)

2. February - An Argumentation of Historians by Jodi Taylor (2/27/19)

3. March - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (3/14/19)

4. April - Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (4/17/19)

5. May - The Merry Spinster by Mallory Ortberg (5/27/19)

6. June - Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (7/5/19)

7. July - Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (7/6/19)

8. August - Ayesha at Last by Usma Jalaluddin (8/24/19)

9. September - The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (9/10/19)

10. October - Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven (10/19/19)

11. November - The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Griesbrecht (11/15/19)

12. December - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (12/10/19)

Horror
Goal: 10/10 Books 100%

1. Craven Manor by Darcy Coates (2/8/19)

2. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (2/20/19)

3. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (3/8/19)

4. Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (4/17/19)

5. Tales of Mystery and the Macabre by Elizabeth Gaskell (4/28/19)

6. Secrets of the Greek Revival by Eva Pohler (6/7/19)

7. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (6/26/19)

8. The Girl in Red by Christina Henry (8/27/19)

9. Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist (9/2/19)

10. Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (10/30/19)

Graphic Novels
Goal: 52/52 Comics 100%

1. Saga Vol. 9 (1/15/19)

2. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 7 (1/12/19)

3. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 8 (5/4/19)

4. The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 9 (10/25/19)

5. Rat Queens Vol. 5 (1/13/19)

6. Rat Queens Vol. 6 (10/16/19)

7. The Walking Dead Vol. 30 (1/15/19)

8. The Walking Dead Vol. 31 (7/17/19)

9. Low Vol. 2 (1/25/19)

10. Low Vol. 3 (1/26/19)

11. Low Vol. 4 (1/26/19)

12. The Exile by Diana Gabaldon (1/12/19)

13. The Autumnlands Vol. 1 (1/25/19)

14. Lumberjanes Vol. 1 (2/2/19)

15. Lumberjanes Vol. 2 (3/4/19)

16. Lumberjanes Vol. 3 (6/12/19)

17. Lumberjanes Vol. 4 (6/12/19)

18. Lumberjanes Vol. 5 (7/20/19)

19. Lumberjanes Vol. 6 (7/25/19)

20. Lumberjanes Vol. 7 (7/26/19)

21. Lumberjanes Vol. 8 (8/13/19)

22. Damsels Vol. 1 (2/15/19)

23. Damsels Vol. 2 (2/15/19)

24. Lady Mechanika Vol. 1 (2/26/19)

25. Lady Mechanika Vol. 2 (2/26/19)

26. Lady Mechanika Vol. 3 (4/21/19)

27. Exquisite Corpse by Penelope Bagieu (2/16/19)

28. Paper Girls Vol. 5 (3/5/19)

29. Paper Girls Vol. 6 (10/12/19)

30. Road to Riverdale Vol. 1 (3/12/19)

31. Road to Riverdale Vol. 2 (3/12/19)

32. Road to Riverdale Vol. 3 (3/12/19)

33. Alex + Ada Vol. 1 (3/16/19)

34. Alex + Ada Vol. 2 (3/16/19)

35. Alex + Ada Vol. 3 (3/16/19)

36. The Beauty Vol. 1 (3/13/19)

37. The Beauty Vol. 2 (3/13/19)

38. The Beauty Vol. 3 (3/13/19)

39. The Beauty Vol. 4 (3/13/19)

40. The Beauty Vol. 5 (5/5/19)

41. Umbrella Academy Vol. 1 (4/13/19)

42. Umbrella Academy Vol. 2 (6/15/19)

43. Umbrella Academy Vol. 3 (10/9/19)

44. Heathen Vol. 1 (5/3/19)

45. Heathen Vol. 2 (10/5/19)

46. Giant Days Vol. 8 (5/4/19)

47. Coffin Hill Vol. 1 (6/16/19)

48. Coffin Hill Vol. 2 (6/20/19)

49. Coffin Hill Vol. 3 (6/22/19)

50. Gumballs (7/29/19)

51. The Mental Load (7/30/19)

52. East of West Vol. 9 (9/21/19)

Library Love
Goal: 60/60 Books 100%

1. Coffee Talk by Morton Satin (1/12/19)

2. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (1/19/19)

3. Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (1/18/19)

4. Open House by Elizabeth Berg (1/23/19)

5. Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand (1/23/19)

6. Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon (1/24/19)

7. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon (1/28/19)

8. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (2/6/19)

9. Visualizing the Beatles by John Pring and Rob Thomas (2/6/19)

10. American War by Omar El Akkad (2/16/19)

11. The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (2/10/19)

12. Skirting the Grave by Annette Blair (1/30/19)

13. Code Girls by Liza Mundy (1/31/19)

14. The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman (2/20/19)

15. And Then You Die of Dysentery by Lauren Reeves (3/7/19)

16. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty (3/9/19)

17. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (3/23/19)

18. The Library Book by Susan Orlean (4/4/19)

19. Atlas of the Unexpected by Travis Elborough (4/5/19)

20. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (4/12/19)

21. Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy by Anne Boyd Rioux (4/16/19)

22. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (4/20/19)

23. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (4/26/19)

24. How Long ‘til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin (4/27/19)

25. Escaping from Houdini by Kerry Maniscalco (5/14/19)

26. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (5/17/19)

27. Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins (5/18/19)

28. Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (5/23/19)

29. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (5/25/19)

30. A Brief History of Nebraska by Ronald Naugle (5/27/19)

31. Watching You by Lisa Jewell (5/28/19)

32. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (6/5/19)

33. If, Then by Kate Hope Day (6/8/19)

34. Craftfulness by Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin (6/14/19)

35. Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith (6/11/19)

36. Cities by Monica L. Smith (6/13/19)

37. City of Light by Rupert Christiansen (6/19/19)

38. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (6/23/19)

39. Zoo Nebraska by Carson Vaughan (6/27/19)

40. Perihelion Summer by Greg Egan (6/29/19)

41. Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (6/30/19)

42. Furious Hours by Casey Cep (7/1/19)

43. The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes (7/9/19)

44. The River by Peter Heller (7/10/19)

45. The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones (7/12/19)

46. Little Beach Street Cafe by Jenny Colgan (7/16/19)

47. The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson (7/19/19)

48. Less by Andrew Sean Greer (7/24/19)

49. The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis (7/27/19)

50. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (7/28/19)

51. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (8/4/19)

52. Columbine by Dave Cullen (8/6/19)

53. I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott (8/9/19)

54. Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey (8/10/19)

55. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (8/7/19)

56. Recursion by Black Crouch (8/16/19)

57. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth (8/20/19)

58. Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald (8/21/19)

59. You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld (8/23/19)

60. A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell (8/26/19)

Historical Fiction
Goal: 10/10 Books 100%

1. A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang (2/22/19)

2. The Light Over London by Julia Kelly (5/10/19)

3. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton (5/15/19)

4. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (5/25/19)

5. The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (5/30/19)

6. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (6/5/19)

7. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (6/24/19)

8. The Huntress by Kate Quinn (6/28/19)

9. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (7/5/19)

10. The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis (7/27/19)

Picture Books
Goal: 70/70 Books 100%

1. Title Beginning with A - Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat (March)

2. Author Beginning with A - Sir Simon by Cale Atkinson (April)

3. Illustrator Beginning with A - Octopus Escapes Again! illustrated by Laurie Ellen Angus (January)

4. Title Beginning with B - Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton (April)

5. Author Beginning with B - Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach (January)

6. Illustrator Beginning with B - Book! Book! Book! Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke (April)

7. Title Beginning with C - Chimpanzees for Tea by Jo Empson (April)

8. Author Beginning with C - What Planet are You From, Clarice Bean? by Lauren Child (January)

9. Illustrator Beginning C - The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer illustrated by Benjamin Chaud (march)

10. Title Beginning with D - The Dinosaur Expert by Margaret McNamara (January)

11. Author Beginning with D - Dinosaur Dig! by Penny Dale (January)

12. Illustrator Beginning with D - If You Were a Times Sign illustrated by Sarah Dillard (February)

13. Title Beginning with E - Elmer and Butterfly by David McKee (January)

14. Author Beginning with E - Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert (April)

15. Illustrator Beginning with E - Do NOT Bring Your Dragon to the Library illustrated by Andy Elkerton (January)

16. Title Beginning with F - Farmer Dale’s Red Pickup Truck by Lisa Wheeler (March)

17. Author Beginning with F - Lost in the Library by Josh Funk (January)

18. Illustrator Beginning with F - My Daddy is a Pretzel illustrated by Sophie Fatus (July)

19. Title Beginning with G - Giraffe Problems by Jory John (June)

20. Author Beginning with G - Revenge of the Dinotrux by Chris Gall (April)

21. Illustrator Beginning with G - Dino-Dancing Illustrated by Barry Gott (January)

22. Title Beginning with H - How to Be a Viking by Cressida Cowell (January)

23. Author Beginning with H - Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos (January)

24. Illustrator Beginning with H - Construction Kitties illustrated by Shari Halpern (January)

25. Title Beginning with I - I Love Cats by Sue Stainton (January)

26. Author Beginning with I - Did You Eat the Parakeet? By Mark Iacolina (April)

27. Illustrator Beginning with I - Boom Boom Go Away illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (July)

28. Title Beginning with J - Jack and the Beanstalk by Tony Ross (January)

29. Author Beginning with J - The Hueys in None the Number by Oliver Jeffers (March)

30. Illustrator Beginning with J - Unlike Other Monsters illustrated by Colin Jack (April)

31. Title Beginning with K - Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning (July)

32. Author Beginning with K - Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis (February)

33. Illustrator Beginning with K - Old MacDonald Had a Truck Illustrated by Eda Kaban (January)

34. Title beginning with L - Little Bear’s Big House by Benjamin Chaud (March)

35. Author Beginning with L - Will Sheep Sleep? by Hilary Leung (April)

36. Illustrator Beginning with L - There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! Illustrated by Jared Lee (May)

37. Title Beginning with M - Marlo and the Dinosaurs by Christopher Browne (March)

38. Author Beginning with M - Elmer Takes Off by David McKee (January)

39. Illustrator Beginning with M - Music Is… illustrated by Amy Martin (April)

40. Title Beginning with N - Now I’m Big by Karen Katz (June)

41. Author Beginning with N - Author Beginning with N - Milky Way by Mamta Nainy (April)

42. Illustrator Beginning with N - Once Upon an ABC illustrated by Christopher Nielsen (July)

43. Title Beginning with O - Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Jane Cabrera (January)

44. Author Beginning with O - Bigfoot Does Not Like Birthday Parties by Eric Ode (April)

45. llustrator Beginning with O - If You Monster Won’t Go to Bed illustrated by Zachariah Ohora (April)

46. Title Beginning with P - Pete the Cate and the Treasure Map by James Dean (February)

47. Author Beginning with P - Dinosaur Farm by Frann Preston-Gannon (February)

48. Illustrator Beginning with P - A Winter Wonderland illustrated by Anne Passichier (February)

49. Title beginning with Q - The Quilt by Ann Jonas (June)

50. Author or Illustrator beginning with Q - My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero (July)

51. Title beginning with R - Race! By Sue Fliess (April)

52. Author beginning with R - The Subway Mouse by Barbara Reid (February)

53. Illustrator beginning with R - Hamsters on the Go! illustrated by Kass Reich (January)

54. Title beginning with S - Stanley the Mailman by William Bee (March)

55. Author beginning with S - Standroid and Dandroid Make a Mess by Michael Slack (March)

56. Illustrator beginning with S - Trucks Galore illustrated by Bob Staake (January)

57. Title beginning with T - The Three Little Pigs Count to 100 by Grace Maccarone (March)

58. Author beginning with T - Help! We Need a Title! by Herve Tullet (April)

59. Illustrator beginning with T - How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas (January)

60. Title beginning with U - Up Above and Down Below by Paloma Valdivia (April)

61. Author or illustrator beginning with U - Monster & Mouse Go Camping by Deborah Underwood (April)

62. Title beginning with V - The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (January)

63. Author or illustrator beginning with V - Max the Brave by Ed Vere (April)

64. Title beginning with W - Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar by Emily MacKenzie (January)

65. Author beginning with W - Dino-Racing by Lisa Wheeler (February)

66. Illustrator beginning with W - Thelonious Mouse illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (April)

67. Title with an X ("ex") - Max’s Dragon by Kate Banks (July)

68. Author or illustrator -- more than one author, more than one illustrator (turning x into +) - A Bunny is Funny by Harriet Ziefert and Fred Ehrlich (April)

69. Title with a Z - Zuzu’s Wishing Cake by Linda Michelin (July)

70. Author or illustrator beginning with Z - Monsters Go Night-Night by Aaron Zenz (April)

Romance
Goal: 10/10 Books 100%

1. The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh (1/17/19)

2. The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown (4/6/19)

3. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (4/10/19)

4. Fight or Flight by Samantha Young (4/14/19)

5. The Winter Duchess by Jillian Eaton (4/19/19)

6. The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli (5/2/19)

7. Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins (5/18/19)

8. Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith (6/11/19)

9. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (6/23/19)

10. Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (6/30/19)

Women Authors
Goal: 30/30 Authors 100%

1. Mary Balogh (3/20/19)

2. Leigh Bardugo (5/17/19)

3. Elizabeth Berg (1/23/19)

4. Annette Blair (4/3/19)

5. Rhys Bowen (5/23/19)

6. Chanel Cleeton (5/15/19)

7. Jillian Eaton (4/19/19)

8. Lyndsay Faye (4/24/19)

9. Elizabeth Gaskell (4/28/19)

10. Jenny Han (2/12/19)

11. Deborah Harkness (3/29/19)

12. Rachel Hawkins (5/18/19)

13. N.K. Jemisin (1/30/19)

14. Lisa Jewell (5/28/19)

15. Martha Hall Kelly (3/30/19)

16. Melanie Lageschulte (3/27/19)

17. Sonya Lalli (5/2/19)

18. Christina Lauren (6/23/19)

19. Rachael Lippincott (4/10/19)

20. Julianne MacLean (5/22/19)

21. Tahereh Mafi (4/8/19)

22. Seanan McGuire (2/6/19)

23. Fatima Farheen Mirza (3/2/19)

24. Kate Morton (1/11/19)

25. Mallory Ortberg (5/27/19)

26. Eva Pohler (6/7/19)

27. Kate Quinn (6/28/19)

28. Diane Setterfield (3/10/19)

29. Jennifer E. Smith (6/11/19)

30. Beatriz Williams (5/25/19)

2019 Reading Challenge Roundup - Failed

Perpetual Lists
Goal: 11/30 36.7%

1. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (FanPro)

2. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (FanPro; Teen; 365)

3. Peony in Love by Lisa See (FanPro)

4. Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist (9/2/19)

5. Bird Box by Josh Malerman (NPR Horror)

6. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (NPR Horror; Lit Won)

7. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (NPR Horror)

8. The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs (NPR Horror)

9. The Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn (NPR Romance)

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (NPR Romance; Teen; 365)

11. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle (NPR Scifi/Fan; Teen; Lit Won)

12. Feed by MT Anderson (11/13/19)

13. Asylum by Madeleine Roux (365)

14. A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis (365)

15. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Lit Won)

16. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (2/12/19)

17. Paper Towns by John Green (3/15/19)

18. Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix (3/19/19)

19. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (4/8/19)

20. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (6/26/19)

21. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (8/25/19)

22. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (10/29/19)

23. Songbook by Nick Hornby (11/8/19)

24. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (12/17/19)

25. TBD

26. TBD

27. TBD

28. TBD

29. TBD

30. TBD

Unread Shelf Project
Goal: 21/50 Books 42%

1. Zorro by Isabel Allende (1/29/19)

2. America’s Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar

3. The Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis

4. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

5. Ghostland by Colin Dickey (4/7/19)

6. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (4/24/19)

7. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8. Drink of Me by Jacquelyn Frank

9. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

10. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

11. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (8/12/19)

12. Hand of Isis by Jo Graham

13. The General’s Mistress by Jo Graham

14. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (4/29/19)

15. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

16. Frida by Hayden Herrera

17. The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

18. The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

19. The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

20. Booknotes edited by Brian Lamb (8/30/19)

21. 1776 by David McCullough

22. John Adams by David McCullough

23. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton (1/11/19)

24. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

25. Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

26. Eruption by Steve Olson (2/23/19)

27. In the Hurricane’s Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

28. The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (5/30/19)

29. The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch

30. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

31. The Boundaries of Her Body by Deborah Rowland

32. Contact by Carl Sagan

33. A Great Improvisation by Stacey Schiff

34. Duchess by Susan Holloway Scott

35. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield (3/10/19)

36. Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides

37. Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

38. Kate Chopin by Emily Toth

39. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

40. The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh (1/17/19)

41. A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh (1/22/19)

42. Dark Angel / Lord Carew’s Bride by Mary Balogh (2/24/19)

43. A Counterfeit Betrothal / The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh (3/20/19)

44. Tales of Mystery and the Macabre by Elizabeth Gaskell (4/28/19)

45. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (5/29/19)

46. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (8/14/19)

47. The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (9/14/19)

48. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn (9/20/19)

49. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn (9/25/19)

50. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (11/23/19)

Popsugar
Goal: 35/40 Books 87.5%

1. Book becoming a movie in 2019 - Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (4/10/19)

2. Book that makes you nostalgic - The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (4/26/19)

3. Book written by a musician -

4. Book you think should be turned into a movie - The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli (5/2/19)

5. Book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads - The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (10/29/19)

6. Book with a plant in the title or on the cover - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (3/30/19)

7. Reread of a favorite - Persuasion by Jane Austen (12/23/19)

8. Book about a hobby - The River by Peter Heller (7/10/19)

9. Book you meant to read in 2018 - Open House by Elizabeth Berg (1/23/19)

10. Book with “pop,” “sugar,” or “challenge” in the title - Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (12/17/19)

11. Book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover - Zorro by Isabel Allende (1/29/19)

12. Book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore - Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (7/6/19)

13. Book published posthumously - I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (9/11/19)

14. Book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie - Songbook by Nick Hornby (11/8/19)

15. Retelling of a classic - Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (4/24/19)

16. Book with a question in the title -

17. Book set on a college or university campus - The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (4/20/19)

18. Book about someone with superpowers -

19. Book told from multiple character POVs - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (3/8/19)

20. Book set in space -

21. Book by two female authors - The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (1/19/19)

22. Book with a title that contains “salty,” “sweet,” “bitter,” or “spicy” - The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones (7/12/19)

23. Book set in Scandinavia - Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist (9/2/19)

24. Book that takes place in a single day - They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera (9/27/19)

25. Debut novel - An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (4/29/19)

26. Book that’s published in 2019 - The Light Over London by Julia Kelly (5/10/19)

27. Book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature - Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (10/30/19)

28. Book recommended by a celebrity you admire - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (6/24/19)

29. Book with “love” in the title - P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (3/23/19)

30. Book featuring an amateur detective - The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (2/10/19)

31. Book about a family - Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton (5/15/19)

32. Book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America -

33. Book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title - The Huntress by Kate Quinn (6/28/19)

34. Book that includes a wedding - A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (3/2/19)

35. Book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter - The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman (2/20/19)

36. Ghost story - Craven Manor by Darcy Coates (2/8/19)

37. Book with a two-word title - Watching You by Lisa Jewell (5/28/19)

38. Novel based on a true story - Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (7/5/19)

39. Book revolving around a puzzle or game - Code Girls by Liza Mundy (1/31/19)

40. Fave prompt from a past challenge - Perihelion Summer by Greg Egan (6/29/19)

Finishing the Series
Goal: 6/10 Series 60%

1. Chronicles of St. Mary’s ✓

   • #7.7 Desiccated Water (1/16/19)

   • #8 And the Rest is History (1/16/19)

   • #8.1 Markham and the Anal Probing (1/16/19)

   • #8.5 A Perfect Storm (1/16/19)

   • #8.6 Christmas Past (1/19/19)

   • #9 An Argumentation of Historians (2/27/19)

   • #9.5 Battersea Barricades (3/21/19)

   • #9.6 The Steam-Pump Jump (3/22/19)

   • #9.7 And Now for Something Completely Different (4/11/19)

   • #10 Hope for the Best (8/17/19)

2. Vintage Magic Mystery ✓

   • #4 Skirting the Grave (1/30/19)

   • #5 Cloaked in Malice (4/3/19)

   • #6 Tulle Death Do Us Part (4/9/19)

3. Her Royal Spyness

   • #5 Naughty in Nice (5/23/19)

   • #6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas (8/3/19)

   • #7 Heirs and Graces (11/27/19)

   • #8 Queen of Hearts

   • #9 Malice at the Palace

   • #10 Crowned and Dangerous

   • #11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service

   • #12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

   • #13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs

4. Stalking Jack the Ripper ✓

   • #2 Hunting Prince Dracula (4/17/19)

   • #3 Escaping from Houdini (5/14/19)

   • #4 Capturing the Devil (10/15/19)

5. Dark Angel

   • #1 Dark Angel (2/23/19)

   • #2 Lord Carew’s Bride (2/23/19)

   • #3 The Famous Heroine

   • #4 The Plumed Bonnet

   • #5 The Ideal Wife (1/17/19)

   • #6 A Precious Jewel (1/22/19)

   • #7 A Christmas Bride

   • #8 Christmas Beau

6. Winter ✓

   • #3 Winter Storm (1/18/19)

   • #4 Winter Solstice (1/23/19)

7. All Souls

   • #1 A Discovery of Witches (3/29/19)

   • #2 Shadow of Night (10/4/19)

   • #3 The Book of Life

8. Shatter Me

   • #1 Shatter Me (4/8/19)

   • #1.5 Destroy Me (4/8/19)

   • #2 Unravel Me

   • #2.5 Fracture Me

   • #3 Ignite Me

   • #4 Restore Me

   • #4.5 Shadow Me

   • #5 Defy Me

9. River of Teeth ✓

   • #2 Taste of Marrow (6/18/19)

   • #3 American Hippo (short story) (6/18/19)

10. Rogues of Redmere ✓

    • #2 When a Rogue Loves a Woman (11/12/19)

    • #3 Waiting for a Rogue Like You (11/19/19)

    • #4 What’s a Rogue Got to Do With It (11/19/19)

Alphabet Soup: Authors
Goal: 22/26 Authors 80.8%

1. A - Zorro by Isabel Allende (1/29/19)

2. B - A Counterfeit Betrothal / The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh (3/20/19)

3. C - The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (4/26/19)

4. D - If, Then by Kate Hope Day (6/8/19)

5. E - American War by Omar El Akkad (2/16/19)

6. F - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (12/10/19)

7. G - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (3/14/19)

8. H - P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (3/23/19)

9. I - A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa (3/18/19)

10. J - The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin (2/13/19)

11. K - The Light Over London by Julia Kelly (5/10/19)

12. L - The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy (5/7/19)

13. M - Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (5/14/19)

14. N - Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix (3/19/19)

15. O - Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi (5/6/19)

16. P - The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (5/30/19)

17. Q - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (6/24/19)

18. R - Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (5/29/19)

19. S - Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield (3/10/19)

20. T - Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor (8/17/19)

21. U

22. V

23. W - The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (4/20/19)

24. X

25. Y - Fight or Flight by Samantha Young (4/14/19)

26. Z

Literary Escapes
Goal: 25/51 Books 47.1%

1. Alabama - Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber (11/5/19)

2. Alaska

3. Arizona

4. Arkansas

5. California - A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (3/2/19)

6. Colorado - The Christmas Layover by Robert Tate Miller (11/25/19)

7. Connecticut - Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair (4/3/19)

8. Delaware

9. District of Columbia

10. Florida - Paper Towns by John Green (3/15/19)

11. Georgia

12. Hawaii

13. Idaho

14. Illinois - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (8/7/19)

15. Indiana - Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (4/27/19)

16. Iowa - Growing Season by Melanie Lageschulte (3/27/19)

17. Kansas

18. Kentucky - The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Ricardson (11/23/19)

19. Louisiana - Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey (6/18/19)

20. Maine - Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (7/28/19)

21. Maryland

22. Massachusetts - Fight or Flight by Samantha Young (4/14/19)

23. Michigan

24. Minnesota - Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal (10/22/19)

25. Mississippi

26. Missouri

27. Montana - Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman (12/7/19)

28. Nebraska

29. Nevada

30. New Hampshire - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (3/8/19)

31. New Jersey - Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum (8/22/19)

32. New Mexico

33. New York - Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey (6/30/19)

34. North Carolina

35. North Dakota

36. Ohio - Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey (8/10/19)

37. Oklahoma

38. Oregon - If, Then by Kate Hope Day (6/8/19)

39. Pennsylvania

40. Rhode Island - A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams (11/26/19)

41. South Carolina

42. South Dakota

43. Tennessee

44. Texas - The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown (4/6/19)

45. Utah

46. Vermont - The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (10/18/19)

47. Virginia - The Christmas Bride by Hope Ramsay (11/24/19)

48. Washington - Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler (12/11/19)

49. West Virginia

50. Wisconsin

51. Wyoming - Falling for Her Bachelor by Robin Bielman (12/4/19)

Non-Fiction Bingo
Goal: 17/25 Books 68%

1. Made into a movie -

2. Baillie Gifford award winner - Peacemakers; 1599; Into the Silence; How to Survive a Plague

3. About feminism -

4. Religion or Spirituality - Ghostland by Colin Dickey (4/7/19)

5. Essay Collection - The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman (2/20/19)

6. Self-help title - I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott (8/9/19)

7. Celebrity or public figure memoir - Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon (1/28/19)

8. Nature or the environment - Eruption by Steve Olson (2/23/19)

9. Pre-2000 Title - The Hot Zone by Richard Preston (9/17/19)

10. Food, wine, or cooking - Coffee Talk by Morton Satin (1/12/19)

11. Indigenous author -

12. True crime - The Library Book by Susan Orlean (4/4/19)

13. Free space - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty (3/9/19)

14. Medical condition - Rabid by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy (11/9/19)

15. Set outside of North America - City of Light by Rupert Christiansen (6/19/19)

16. Biography - Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy by Anne Boyd Rioux (4/16/19)

17. Author of color -

18. 2019 release - Cities by Monica L. Smith (6/13/19)

19. 5-star read for a friend - Columbine by Dave Cullen (8/6/19)

20. Goodreads winner - I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (9/11/19)

21. Canadian author -

22. Science and technology - Code Girls by Liza Mundy (1/31/19)

23. Parenting or relationships -

24. Travel - Atlas of the Unexpected by Travis Elborough (4/5/19)

25. Translated -

Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction
Goal: 21/52 Books 40.4%

Fantasy

1. Classic Fantasy - How Long ‘til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin (4/27/19)

2. Magic School -

3. Necromancers -

4. PTSD -

5. Dragons -

6. Fairytale (Retelling) - Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi (5/6/19)

7. Grimdark -

8. Ghosts - The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton (1/11/19)

9. Uncommon Fantasy Creatures - Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (7/6/19)

10. Shapshifters -

11. Gods -

12. Animal Companion -

13. Maternal Heritage - Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber (11/5/19)

14. Set in our World - The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (8/12/19)

15. Witches - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (3/29/19)

16. Magical Law Enforcement - Shadow of Night by Deborah Harnkess (10/4/19)

17. Thief -

18. Pirates -

19. Portal Fantasy -

20. Warrior

Science Fiction

1. On a Different Planet - Alien: Echo by Mira Grant (9/4/19)

2. Utopia - The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones (7/12/19)

3. Space Ship -

4. Steampunk - Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine (10/11/19)

5. Time Travel - Recursion by Blake Crouch (8/16/19)

6. Artificial Intelligence POV -

7. Proto Sci-Fi - The Second Deluge by Garrett P. Serviss (11/6/19)

8. Hive -

9. Alien - An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (4/29/19)

10. Virtual Reality -

11. Super Powers -

12. Science - American War by Omar El Akkad (2/16/19)

13. Replicate -

14. Space Colonization -

15. Mecha -

16. Space Creatures / Beasts -

17. Teleportation -

18. Space Western -

19. The Moon -

20. Invasion -

Generic

1. Satire - Feed by M.T. Anderson (11/13/19)

2. Under 500 Pages - The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin (2/13/19)

3. Over 800 Pages -

4. Novella - Perihelion Summer by Greg Egan (6/29/19)

5. Finish a Series - The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (4/12/19)

6. Mental Health -

7. Disability -

8. Published Before 1990 -

9. Set in Africa -

10. Library - The Merry Spinster by Mallory Ortberg (5/27/19)

11. By a Woman of Color - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (1/30/19)

12. One Word Title -

Mystery
Goal: 9/25 Books 36%

1. Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon (1/24/19)

2. The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (2/10/19)

3. Tulle Death Do Us Part by Annette Blair (4/9/19)

4. The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen (8/3/19)

5. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth (8/20/19)

6. The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick (9/7/19)

7. Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen (11/28/19)

8. The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan (12/19/19)

9. Bewitched and Betrothed by Juliet Blackwell (12/21/19)

10. TBD

11. TBD

Creativity
Goal: 2/10 Books 20%

1. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon (1/28/19)

2. Craftfulness by Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin (6/14/19)

3. TBD

4. TBD

5. TBD

6. TBD

7. TBD

8. TBD

9. TBD

10. TBD

2019 Reading Challenges Update #3

After 2018’s amazing reading numbers, I decided to capitalize on my momentum and really ramp up my numbers and my challenges. And so I have committed to 22 different challenges and a total of 250 books read for this year. Let’s check out my progress at the end of the first quarter.

• Perpetual 7/30 23.3% *

• UnRead Shelf 20/50 40% *

• Library Love 60/60 100% **

• For the Love of Ebooks 14/30 46.7%

• Random TBR Pick 10/12 83.3%

• Picture Books 70/70 100%

• Popsugar 30/40 75%

• Modern Mrs. Darcy 11/12 91.7%

• Finishing the Series 4/10 40%

• Alphabet Soup 21/26 80.8%

• Women Authors 30/30 100%

• Monthly Keyword 10/12 83.3%

• Monthly Motif 10/12 83.3%

• Literary Escapes 17/51 33.3% *

• Nonfiction Bingo 16/25 64%

• Graphic Novels 52/52 100% **

• Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction 18/52 34.6% *

• Horror 9/10 90%

• Cloak and Dagger 6/25 24%

• Romance 10/10 100% **

• Historical Fiction 10/10 100% **

• Creativity 2/10 20%

Total Challenges 5/22 22.7%

Total Reading Slots 437/639 68.4%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: Overall I think I’m doing really well this year. I signed up for a ton of reading challenges and had really big plans. I knew things would fall short, but I’m excited about the progress. In this last two months I’m hoping to finish at least three more challenges.

Next up on the TBR pile: