2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2016
>
*** Susan C's 140 Book Challenge for 2016 ***
That's still so many books!! Are you a fast reader? Good luck :)
One of my personal 2016 goals is to reduce the number of books that have been on my TBR shelf for ages. I'm using this challenge as a basis for my personal challenge: http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/2015...2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016
We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up.
Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance. This is your chance!
Each book must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2015 or later (any book published in the year 2014 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile)
How many books are you planning to read for this challenge?
1-10 A Firm Handshake
11-20 A Friendly Hug
21-30 First Kiss
31-40 Sweet Summer Fling
41-50 Could This Be Love?
50+ Married with Children
I'm going for "Married with Children"
1. Little Lady, Big Apple read 1/3/2016 (2014)
2. Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin read 1/6/2016 (2012)
3. Bird in Hand read 1/9/2016 (2014)
4. Little Night read 1/11/2016 (2013)
5. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty read 1/14/2016 (2013)
6. Astonish Me read 1/16/2016 (2014)
7. Girlchild read 1/19/2016 (2013)
8. Up at Butternut Lake read 1/19/2016 (2014)
9. Boy, Snow, Bird read 1/21/2016 (2014)
10. The Golem and the Jinni read 1/24/2016 (2014)
January:
2012: 1
2013: 3
2014: 6
11. World Without End read 2/2/2016 (2012)
12. 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life
read 2/5/2016 (2014)
13. Orkney read 2/6/2016 (2013)
14. John Dies at the End read 2/9/2016 (2012)
15. Burial Rites read 2/10/2016 (2014)
16. Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth read 2/13/2016 (2013)
17. A Mother's Day to Remember read 2/13/2016 (2014)
18. Corelli's Mandolin read 2/17/2016 (2014)
19. Necessary Lies read 2/26/2016 (2013)
20. Not Like My Mother: Becoming a Sane Parent After Growing Up in a Crazy Family read 2/29/2016 (2014)
February:
2012: 2
2013: 3
2014: 5
21. Where We Belong read 3/6/2016 (2013)
22. Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality read 3/7/3016 (2012)
23. The Empathy Exams: Essays read 3/8/2016 (2014)
24. The Power of One read 3/12/2016 (2012)
25. A Fighting Chance read 3/19/2016 (2014)
26. The Running Dream read 3/21/2016 (2012)
27. You Should Have Known read 3/25/2016 (2014)
28. In Office Hours read 3/29/2016 (2013)
March:
2012: 3
2013: 2
2014: 3
29. Lunch with Buddha read 4/3/2016 (2014)
30. Shooting Kabul read 4/5/2016 (2012)
31. Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir read 4/7/2016 (2013)
32. A Sudden Light read 4/14/2016 (2014)
33. March Violets read 4/18/2016 (2013)
34. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena read 4/22/2016 (2014)
35. The Shelter Cycle read 4/24/2016 (2013)
36. Astray read 4/26/2016 (2014)
37. The Tilted World read 4/29/2016 (2014)
April:
2012: 1
2013: 3
2014: 5
38. The Engagements read 5/1/2016 (2013)
39. Worthy Brown's Daughter read 5/5/16 (2014)
40. Standing in the Rainbow read 5/9/2016 (2013)
41. Broken Harbor read 5/23/2016 (2013)
42. My Story read 5/26/2016 (2013)
May:
2013: 4
2014: 1
43. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier read 6/9/2016 (2013)
44 The Road from Gap Creek read 6/10/2016 (2013)
45. NOS4A2 read 6/11/2016 (2014)
46. Life Among Giants read 6/25/2016 (2013)
47. The Other Story read 6/26/2016 (2014)
June:
2013: 3
2014: 2
48. By Nightfall read 7/9/2016 (2013)
49. A Fine Balance read 7/9/2016 (2014)
50. A Tale for the Time Being read 7/17/2016 (2013)
51. The Silkworm read 7/20/2016 (2014)
52. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry read 7/22/2016 (2013)
53. The Fashion Police aka Fashion, Lies, and Murder read 7/31/2016 (2013)
54. The Master's Muse read 8/3/2016 (2013)
55. Not My Father's Son read 8/8/2016 (2014)
56. Swim read 8/15/2016 (2014)
57. Coincidence read 8/15/2016 (2014)
58. Someone read 8/15/2016 (2013)
59. Lucky Us read 8/22/2016 (2014)
59/50
Continuing the challenge to read a book by authors from every country of the world or books that take place in every country of the world. This is a multi-year challenge. Hoping to make more progress this year than I have in prior years. Afghanistan: Born Under a Million Shadows (read 2/12)
Albania:
Algeria:
Andorra:
Angola:
Antigua and Barbuda:
Argentina:
Armenia:
Australia: The Light Between Oceans (read 12/12)
Austria:
Azerbaijan:
Bahamas:
Bahrain:
Bangladesh: The Good Muslim read 11/29/2015
Barbados:
Belarus:
Belgium:
Belize:
Benin:
Bhutan:
Bolivia:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Cellist of Sarajevo (read 7/20/12)
Botswana: White Dog Fell from the Sky (read 1/18/2015)
Brazil: The Seamstress (read 1/11)
Brunei:
Bulgaria:
Burkina Faso:
Burma:
Burundi:
Cambodia: The Map of Lost Memories (read 10/12/13)
Cameroon:
Canada: Still Missing (read 10/22/14)
Cape Verde:
Central African Republic:
Chad:
Chile: Maya's Notebook (read 10/31/13)
China: Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China (read 10/14/12)
Colombia: Love in the Time of Cholera (read 2/12)
Comoros:
Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
Congo, Republic of the:
Costa Rica:
Côte d'Ivoire:
Croatia: Girl at War read 1/16/2016
Cuba: Beautiful Fools: The Last Affair of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald read 6/11/2015
Cyprus:
Czech Republic:
Denmark: The Keeper of Lost Causes (read 12/4/13)
Djibouti:
Dominica:
Dominican Republic: In the Time of the Butterflies read 11/30/2015
East Timor:
Ecuador:
Egypt: The Alchemist (read 3/29/2014)
El Salvador:
Equatorial Guinea:
Eritrea:
Estonia:
Ethiopia: Cutting for Stone (read 12/14/12)
Fiji:
Finland:
France: All the Light We Cannot See read 1/30/2015
Gabon:
Gambia:
Georgia:
Germany: The Reader (read 5/12)
Ghana:
Greece: Corelli's Mandolin read 2/17/2016
Grenada:
Guatemala:
Guinea:
Guinea-Bissau:
Guyana:
Haiti:
Honduras:
Hungary:
Iceland: Burial Rites read 2/10/2016
India: Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (read 3/17/2015)
Indonesia: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared read 8/26/2015
Iran: Rosewater: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival (read 1/27/2015)
Iraq: - You Know When the Men Are Gone (read 5/12)
Ireland: One Hundred Names (read 10/14)
Israel:
Italy: Under the Tuscan Sun (read 2/12)
Jamaica:
Japan: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption read 8/3/2015
Jordan:
Kazakhstan:
Kenya:
Kiribati:
Korea, North: The Orphan Master's Son read 8/24/2015
Korea, South:
Kuwait:
Kyrgyzstan:
Laos:
Latvia:
Lebanon:
Lesotho:
Liberia:
Libya: My Accidental Jihad read 1/11/2015
Lichtenstein:
Lithuania:
Luxembourg:
Macedonia:
Madagascar:
Malawi:
Malaysia:
Maldives:
Mali:
Malta:
Marshall Islands:
Mauritania:
Mauritius:
Mexico:
Micronesia:
Moldova:
Monaco:
Mongolia:
Montenegro:
Morocco:
Mozambique:
Namibia:
Nauru:
Nepal: Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster (read 10/1/12)
Netherlands:
New Zealand:
Nicaragua:
Niger:
Nigeria: Boy, Snow, Bird read 1/26/2016
Norway:
Oman:
Pakistan: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (read 2/28/2014)
Palau:
Palestine:
Panama:
Papua New Guinea:
Praguay:
Peru:
Philippines:
Poland: The Boy on the Wooden Box (read 11/20/14)
Portugal:
Qatar:
Romania: Painter of Silence read 3/14/2015
Russia:
Rwanda: An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography (read 12/10/14)
Saint Kitts and Nevis:
Saint Lucia:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadine:
Samoa:
San Marino:
São Tomé and Principe:
Saudi Arabia:
Senegal:
Serbia:
Seychelles:
Sierra Leone:
Singapore:
Slovakia:
Slovenia:
Solomon Islands:
Somalia:
South Africa: Forgive Me (read 9/4/2013)
South Sudan:
Spain: The Prisoner of Heaven (read 4/21/2014)
Sri Lanka:
Sudan:
Suriname:
Swaziland:
Sweden: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (read 12/11)
Switzerland: The Amish Nanny (read 12/24/2014)
Syria:
Taiwan:
Tajikistan:
Tanzania:
Thailand:
Togo:
Tonga:
Trinidad and Tobago:
Tunisia:
Turkey:
Turkmenistan:
Tuvalu:
Uganda:
Ukraine:
United Arab Emirates:
United Kingdom: The Casual Vacancy (read 11/13/14)
United States:
Uruguay:
Uzbekistan:
Vanuatu:
Vatican City:
Venezuela:
Vietnam:
Yemen:
Zambia:
Zimbabwe: We Need New Names read 3/13/2015
I grabbed this challenge from here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20...COLOR CODED READING CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016
✓ 1. A book with “Blue” or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Gathering Blue read 1/29/2016
✓ 2. A book with “Red” or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgundy, etc.) in the title/on the cover. The Spellman Files read 9/24/216
✓ 3. A book with “Yellow” or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Up at Butternut Lake read 1/19/2016
✓ 4. A book with “Green” or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc.) in the title/on the cover. The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank read 12/12/2016
✓ 5. A book with “Brown” or any shade of Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Worthy Brown's Daughter read 5/5/2016
✓ 6. A book with “Black” or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Little Black Lies read 3/13/2016
✓ 7. A book with “White” or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art read 9/25/2016
✓ 8. A book with any other color (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magenta, etc.) in the title/on the cover. The Color Purple read 3/5/2016
✓ 9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Paisley, Stripe, etc.) in the title/on the cover. Standing in the Rainbow read 5/9/2016
9/9 Challenge completed!
Winter wrote: "That's still so many books!! Are you a fast reader? Good luck :)"So far, I've read 161 books this year... I have 4 more to go to finish all of my yearly challenges - hoping I make it!
With that rate you can absolutely make it! That is so many books, I'm kind of stunned actually!
Susan wrote: "I grabbed this challenge from here: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20...COLOR CODED READING CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016
1. A book wit..."
I like that one. Maybe we will have to remember a variation of that for one of our monthly challenges.
Good luck with your 2016 goal :)! And I just want to recommend to you some good books by authors from Czech Republic (that´s my home country :)), I think (and hope) at least some of them are also available in english (some new ones, but also some older ones) - May, I Served the King of England, Noc na Karlštejně, Mlýn na mumie, A Bouquet : Of Czech Folktales, Postřižiny, Kukačka.
Zita wrote: "Good luck with your 2016 goal :)! And I just want to recommend to you some good books by authors from Czech Republic (that´s my home country :)), I think (and hope) at least some of them are also ..."
Thanks, Zita! You are from a beautiful country - I've been there twice and would love to go back and see more of it.
I get most of my books from the library, and I will definitely see if I can find some of these.
Wow! I love the idea of a multi-year challenge. I've never even thought about that... I mean, I've turned some yearly challenges I didn't quite meet into multi-year challenges, but that's different. This is intentional and I love it. Are you learning about the countries these authors are from through this process, Susan?
Good luck with your challenges, Susan! I like the idea of clearing books off of your shelf that have been there for over a year. I'm devoting 2016 to powering through books I already own, but I might try that idea for my Goodreads to-read list at some point.
Jackie B. wrote: "Wow! I love the idea of a multi-year challenge. I've never even thought about that... I mean, I've turned some yearly challenges I didn't quite meet into multi-year challenges, but that's different..."Most of the books that I've read so far have been set in the country, rather than being written by an author from the country. A couple have a pretty tenuous connection to the country, in that only a small part takes place there. Some books have a fair amount of the country's culture; others, not so much.
Cassandra wrote: "Good luck with your challenges, Susan! I like the idea of clearing books off of your shelf that have been there for over a year. I'm devoting 2016 to powering through books I already own, but I m..."
I have so many books on my TBR list that have been on there so long that I have no idea why I wanted to read them!. I'm pretty sure that I had a good reason to add them, so it's time to read them to see if that's true :-)
Susan wrote: "A couple have a pretty tenuous connection to the country, in that only a small part takes place there. Some books have a fair amount of the country's culture; others, not so much. "That's actually quite interesting. There must be a few countries which are really challenging to locate. Do you prioritize this challenge in any way? How do you determine what books to read next for these countries? Or, how do you even find these connections? Before/during/after you read?
Jackie B. wrote: "Susan wrote: "A couple have a pretty tenuous connection to the country, in that only a small part takes place there. Some books have a fair amount of the country's culture; others, not so much. "..."
Last year, I was completely casual about it in that I didn't really look for books for my challenge. If a book I was reading had a connection to a country, I logged it. I'm planning to make it more of a priority for 2016, and actually make an effort to read books for it. I've signed up for the Around the World in Books challenge, for 10 books, so they will count for this personal challenge, too.
Smart move! I wish you luck in making a dent in that amazing (and slightly daunting) list.
2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE - Beginning of year statistics# books on my TBR list: 394
Books on list over 1 year: 315
Books by year added:
2011: 1
2012: 28
2013: 166
2014: 120
2015: 79
Susan wrote: "2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE - Beginning of year statistics# books on my TBR list: 394
Books on list over 1 year: 315
Books by year added:
2011: 1
2012: 28
2013: 166
2014: 120
2015: 79"
I have to know, what is the book from 2011?
Kadijah Michelle wrote: "Susan wrote: "2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE - Beginning of year statistics# books on my TBR list: 394
Books on list over 1 year: 315
Books by year added:
2011: 1
2012: 28
2013: 166
2014: 120
2..."
Bus Stop on a Strange Loop by Shaune Lafferty Webb. It's been on my list for so long that I don't even remember where I heard about it or why I put it on my list. The major reason why I haven't read it yet is that I can't find it in any library that I have access to. I have this thing about actually buying books (unless I can find them really, really cheap...). However, I've decided that this is the year that I'm either going to read this book, or concede that I never will and delete it from my list. One way or another, it's going from my TBR list!
I love the reading plans you have for the month. I might copy that idea, if you don't mind. :)
January reading1. A Dirty Job read 1/1/2016 ★★★★☆
2. Little Lady, Big Apple read 1/3/2016 ★★★★☆
3. Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin read 1/6/2016 ★★★☆☆
4. Everything I Never Told You read 1/7/2016 ★★★★☆
5. Yes Please read 1/8/2016 ★★★★☆
6. Bird in Hand read 1/9/2015 ★★★☆☆
7. Little Night read 1/11/2016 ★★★☆☆
8. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty read 1/14/2015 ★★★★☆
9. Astonish Me read 1/16/2016 ★★★★☆
10. Girl at War read 1/16/2016 ★★★★★
11. Girlchild read 1/19/2016 ★★★☆☆
12. Up at Butternut Lake read 1/19/2016 ★★★☆☆
13. Boy, Snow, Bird read 1/21/2016 ★★★☆☆
14. The Golem and the Jinni read 1/24/2016 ★★★★☆
15. After You read 1/25/2016 ★★★★☆
16. A Dog's Journey read 1/26/2016 ★★★★★
17. A Man Called Ove read 1/27/2016 ★★★★★
18. Gathering Blue read 1/29/2016 ★★★☆☆
Jackie B. wrote: "I love the reading plans you have for the month. I might copy that idea, if you don't mind. :)"Copy away, I don't mind at all! I sign up for so many challenges that it's the only way I can keep track of where I am on them. I don't want to get to December and then figure out that I need to read a book a day just to finish a bunch of challenges :-)
Congrats on finishing your first book on January 1!
Susan wrote: "Copy away, I don't mind at all! I sign up for so many challenges that it's the only way I can keep track of where I am on them.."That was the story of my life in 2015. Hopefully this will keep me on track. Good luck with all your challenges!
January wrap-upPersonal challenges:
140 book reading goal: 17/140 = 12.1%
2016 TBR Reading Pile Challenge 10/50 = 20%
Color Coded Reading Challenge 2/9 = 22%
Yearly Challenges:
Every Year Challenge 8/19 = 42%
I-Spy: Book Titles Edition 7/25 = 28%
Around the World in Books 2/10 = 20%
From Fiction to Reality 2/10 books = 20%, 0/5 pairs = 0%
Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge 8/40 = 20%
TBR Randomiser Challenge 5/30 = 16.6%
Listopia Challenge 6/12 = 50%
A-Z Challenge – Character Edition 15/26 = 57.8%
Recommended by Reading Challengers 2/10 = 20%
Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge 3/24 = 12.5%
"SURPRISE" (Mrs. Darcy) Challenge 3/12 = 25%
Quarterly Challenges
1st qtr Group Reads Challenge 1/3 = 33.3%
1st qtr Build Your Own Box Set 4/6 = 66.6%
Monthly Challenges
Jan. Marathon Challenge 17/14 = 121.4% Challenge completed!
2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE - January recap# books TBR - beginning of year: 394
Books added in January: 14
Books read/currently reading: 18
# books TBR - end of January: 390
Books on list over 1 year (beginning of year/current): 315/305
Books by year added (beginning of year/current):
2011: 1/1
2012: 28/27
2013: 166/163
2014: 120/114
2015: 79/79
I love your stats and planning, Susan! Keep sharing; it's fascinating to watch your reading progress.
February reading19. World Without End read 2/2/2016 ★★★★★
20. 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life read 2/5/2016 ★★★★☆
21. Orkney read 2/6/2016 ★★★☆☆
22. John Dies at the End read 2/9/2016 ★★★☆☆
23. Burial Rites read 2/10/2016 ★★★☆☆
24. Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth read 2/13/2016 ★★★☆☆
25. A Mother's Day to Remember read 2/13/2016 ★★★☆☆
26. Corelli's Mandolin read 2/17/2016 ★★★★☆
27. Did You Ever Have a Family read 2/19/2016 ★★★☆☆
28. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End read 2/20/2016 ★★★★★
29. Tricky Twenty-Two read 2/21/2016 ★★★☆☆
30. Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography read 2/22/2016 ★★★★☆
31. Necessary Lies read 2/25/2016 ★★★★★
32. The Little Paris Bookshop read 2/27/2016 ★★★★★
33. Called for Life: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic read 2/27/2016 ★★★☆☆
34. Making Toast read 2/29/2016 ★★★★☆
35. Not Like My Mother: Becoming a Sane Parent After Growing Up in a Crazy Family read 2/29/2016 ★★★☆☆
February wrap-upPersonal challenges:
140 book reading goal: 34/140 = 24.2%
2016 TBR Reading Pile Challenge 20/50 = 40%
Color Coded Reading Challenge 2/9 = 22%
Yearly Challenges:
Every Year Challenge 10/19 = 52.6%
I-Spy: Book Titles Edition 11/25 = 44%
Around the World in Books 5/10 = 50%
From Fiction to Reality 5/10 books = 50%, 1/5 pairs = 20%
Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge 15/40 = 37.5%
TBR Randomiser Challenge 9/30 = 30%
Listopia Challenge 9/12 = 75%
A-Z Challenge – Character Edition 19/26 = 73%
Recommended by Reading Challengers 4/10 = 40%
Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge 8/24 = 33.3%
Modern Mrs. Darcy Challenge 4/12 = 33.3%
Quarterly Challenges
1st qtr Group Reads Challenge 1/3 = 33.3%
1st qtr Build Your Own Box Set 5/6 = 83.3%
Monthly Challenges
Jan. Marathon Challenge 17/14 = 121.4% Challenge completed!
Feb History Challenge 5/5 = 100% Challenge completed!
Feb. Leap Day Challenge 1/1 - 100% Challenge completed!
2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE - February recap# books TBR - beginning of year: 394
#books TBR - end of January: 390
Books added in February: 15
Books read/currently reading: 17
# books TBR - end of February: 388
Books on list over 1 year (beginning of year/current): 315/295
Books by year added (beginning of year/current):
2011: 1/1
2012: 28/25
2013: 166/160
2014: 120/109
2015: 79/68
That's a really good idea to take note of how many books are on your TBR at the start of the year and track the number. I wish I had thought to do that! I'll have to keep it in mind for next year.
I also love that idea! Although I would be scared to see how many books I add, though.Good luck with your challenges, Susan!
Cassandra wrote: "I also love that idea! Although I would be scared to see how many books I add, though.Good luck with your challenges, Susan!"
Emily wrote: "That's a really good idea to take note of how many books are on your TBR at the start of the year and track the number. I wish I had thought to do that! I'll have to keep it in mind for next year."
Wow! Just figured out I could reply to two people at once :-)
Thanks, Emily and Cassandra. I decided last year that my TBR list was ridiculously long, so I really cut down on adding books to it. The problem with that was that I'm missing out on a lot of good books. This year, I decided to just make a concerted effort to read books that have been on TBR list over a year, and I also have been only adding books that I really want to read, instead of ones that just look interesting.
March reading36. The Color Purple read 3/4/2016 ★★★★☆
37. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened read 3/5/2016 ★★★☆☆
38. Where We Belong read 3/6/2016 ★★★☆☆
39. Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality read 3/7/3016 ★★★☆☆
40. The Empathy Exams: Essays read 3/8/2016 ★★☆☆☆
41. Shanghai Girls read 3/10/2016 ★★★★☆
42. The Power of One read 3/12/2016 ★★★★☆
43. Little Black Lies read 3/13/2016 ★★★★★
44. A Fighting Chance read 3/19/2016 ★★★★☆
45. The Catcher in the Rye read 3/20/2016 ★★★☆☆
46. Butternut Summer read 3/21/2016 ★★★☆☆
47. The Running Dream read 3/21/2016 ★★★☆☆
48. An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude read 3/23/2016 ★★★☆☆
49. You Should Have Known read 3/25/2016 ★★★☆☆
50. How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics read 3/26/2016 ★★★☆☆
51. Messenger read 3/28/2016 ★★★☆☆
52. In Office Hours read 3/29/2016 ★★★☆☆
53. Secondhand Souls read 3/30/2016 ★★★☆☆
I know what you mean - I do feel like I'm missing out on some books this year. I'm trying to read books from my owned-but-unread shelf, and some of the books I bought were when my book-choosing skills weren't as good as they are now. But I'm also discovering some books that I should have read a long time ago!
New challenge from the Wacky Reading Challenges groupTBR Challenge: What to Read Next
3/22/16 to 3/21/17
Level One: Just Need a Little Help (10-20 Books)
Level Two: Point Me in the Right Direction (20-40 Books)
Level Three: Help! I'm Completely Lost (40-60 Books)
I'm going for Level Three and I'm using two dice.
Link to the Challenge
Roll dice
✓ 1. Rolled 2 & 4 - #204 You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz read 3/25/2016
✓ 2. Rolled 5 & 1 - #351 Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore read 3/30/2016
✓ 3. Rolled 2 & 6 - #269 A Sudden Light by Garth Stein read 4/14/2016
✓ 4. Rolled 1 & 1 - #181 A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra read 4/22/2016
✓ 5. Rolled 4 & 2 - #243 Astray by Emma Donoghue read 4/26/2016
✓ 6. Rolled 6 & 4 - #246 NOS4A2 by Joe Hill read 6/11/2016
✓ 7. Rolled 2 & 4 - #324 The King of Taksim Square by Emrah Serbes read 6/18/2016
✓ 8. Rolled 4 & 5 - #145 By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham read 7/9/2016
✓ 9. Rolled 2 & 2 - #292 The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney read 7/23/2016
✓ 10. Rolled 5 & 4 - #254 Not My Father's Son read 8/8/2016
✓ 11. Rolled 3 & 5 - #357 Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church read 8/14/2016
✓ 12. Rolled 5 & 6 - #365 The Last Girls read 8/28/2016
✓ 13. Rolled 4 & 1 - #41 Amity & Sorrow read 9/13/2016
✓ 14. Rolled 1 & 6 - #165 Frog Music read 9/27/2016
✓ 15. Rolled 5 & 3 - #135 The Borrower read 10/3/2016
✓ 16. Rolled 4 & 1 - #134 A Good Hard Look read 10/16/2016
✓ 17. Rolled 3 & 2 - #323 All I Love and Know read 11/16/2016
✓ 18. Rolled 4 & 2 - #224 Fighting Westway: Environmental Law, Citizen Activism, and the Regulatory War That Transformed New York City read 11/24/2016
✓ 19. Rolled 2 & 6 - #362 The Opposite of Everyone read 11/26/2016
✓ 20. Rolled 4 & 1 - #341 The Underdogs read 12/19/2016
✓ 21. Rolled 1 & 4 - #142 Just What Kind of Mother Are You? read 12/25/2016
22. Rolled 5 & 2 - #251 Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town
New challenge from the Crazy Challenge Connection Challenge groupSCRABBLE, ANYONE?
Begins February 1, 2014
No deadline
When you sign up for the challenge, I will assign you one of these randomly generated sets of letters. Your challenge is to read one book for each of those letters. You may use the first letter of the first word of the book's title (do NOT count A, An or The), or the first or last initial of the author to complete each letter.
NOTE: Everyone's letter sets will be different, and assignments will be based on the order in which you sign up. The first person to sign up will get set #1, the second person will get set #2, and so on. Therefore, it will be up to you to keep track of the letters that have been assigned to you :)
For those who want more of a challenge, in addition to reading a book for each letter, make a word out of the letters you've been given, then read a book with that word in its title (or the author's name). It must be a single word, not a compound word. (Example: If you make the word KING, the word you must match is KING, not KINGLY or KINGDOM) This won't be possible with all letter sets, which is why it's a bonus and not part of the challenge itself :)
When you've completed your first set of letters, post a new message with the letters you were given and the books you read. If you'd like to continue the game, I'll give you another set of 7 letters and you can start all over again!
Link to the Challenge
Scrabble word helper
Set #1: E, A, I, I, O, N, L finished 6/27/2016
✓ E - How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics by Eugenia Cheng read 3/26/2016
✓ A - Astray by Emma Donoghue read 4/26/2016
✓ I - In Office Hours by Lucy Kellaway read 3/29/2016
✓ I - The Improbability of Love by Hannah Mary Rothschild read 5/28/2016
✓ O - The Other Story by Tatiana de Rosnay read 6/27/2016
✓ N - NOS4A2 by Joe Hill read 6/11/2016
✓ L - Lunch with Buddha by Roland Merullo read 4/3/2016
Word for set #1 - on On My Own Two Feet: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life by Amy Purdyread 4/7/2016
Set #2: A, O, T, N, T, C, T
✓ A - Ali in Wonderland read 8/14/2016
✓ O - The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics read 11/20/2016
✓ T - A Tale for the Time Being read 7/17/2016
✓ N - No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene read 7/3/2016
✓ T - The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer read 10/14/2016
✓ C - The Class of '65: A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness read 9/21/2016
✓ T The Tree of Hands read 12/21/2016
Word for set #2: Not Not My Father's Son read 8/8/2016
Set #3: T, M, R, N, U, O, G
✓ T - Twelve Years a Slave read 12/31/2016
M
R
N
U
O
G
Word for set #3:
Possible words: grout, grunt, mount, mourn, mungo, muton, notum, trugo, tumor, ungot, gorm, gout, grot, grum, gurn, mong, morn, mort. motu, mung, munt, muon, norm, nout, ourn, rong, ront, roum, rout, rung, runt, tong, torn, toun, tour, trog, tron, trug, tung, turm, turn, unto, gnu, gon, gor, got, gum, gun, gur, gut, mog, mon, mor, mot, mou, mug, mun, mut, nog, nom, nor, not, nur, nut, ort, our, out, rom, rot, rug, rum, run, rut, tog, tom, ton, tor, tug, tum, tun, urn, go, gu, mo, mu, no, nu, om, on, or, ou, to, ug, um, un, ur, ut
New challenge from the Wacky Reading Challenge groupLet's Go to Disneyland!
April 1, 2016 - Completion
Disneyland is in the midst of celebrating their 60th Year Anniversary. Let's join the fun and visit the happiest place in the world together!
*You must complete tasks A-D for each land.
*Task E (the spell out task) is OPTIONAL - its up to you if you want to complete it. But be sure to save an additional post if you plan on doing the spell out!
Challenge Rules:
We will observe the 125 page limit but you may combine books to reach the page limit but all combined books must meet the challenge requirement. All formats are acceptable. Re-reads are fine but please be sure to re-read the entire book. When updating your challenge with books you've read, please include a link to the book title, the author's name, and the date you finished reading the book. Please post cover when a cover item has been asked for.
Link to the Challenge
64/119
Disney "Lands"
Main Street USA 16/17
✓ A. Read a book that takes place in a small town in the US. Nobody's Fool read 9/10/2016
✓ B. Read a book with a vehicle or street scene on the cover.
read 10/3/2016✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in MAIN STREET ARCADE. The King of Taksim Square by Emrah Serbes read 6/18/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in DISNEYLAND RAILROAD (3 Word Minimum), A Sudden Light read 4/14/2016
E. Spell Out MAIN STREET USA.
✓ M - March Violets by Philip Kerr read 4/18/2016
✓ A - Astray by Emma Donoghue read 4/26/2016
✓ I - Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai read 12/22/2016
✓ N - No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene read 7/3/2016
✓ S - Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai read 4/5/2016
✓ T - The Tilted World by Tom Franklin read 4/29/2016
R
✓ E - The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan read 5/1/2016
✓ E - The Echo Maker read 12/9/2016
✓ T - A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki read 7/17/2016
✓ U - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce read 7/22/2016
✓ S - Summer Island by Kristin Hannah read 6/1/2016
✓ A - Ali in Wonderland read 8/14/2016
Adventureland 10/17
A. Read a book that is tagged Adventure on its GR Homepage. You may use this link to help find a book but the book you choose does NOT have to be listed here:Adventure. The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon,
✓ B. Read a book you think has an exciting cover. Please explain what made the cover exciting to you. Lucky Us read 8/22/2016 - The zebra balancing on the lion, walking on a tightrope
✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in JUNGLE CRUISE.
My Story by Elizabeth Smart read 5/26/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in INDIANA JONES ADVENTURE (3 Word Minimum). Standing in the Rainbow read 5/9/2016
E. Spell out ADVENTURELAND.
✓ A - Amity & Sorrow read 9/13/2016
✓ D - Delicious! read 6/25/2016
V
✓ E - Eleanor & Park read 12/20/2016
✓ N - Not My Father's Son read 8/8/2016
✓ T - The Tender Bar read 10/14/2016
U
R
E
✓ L - Lunch with Buddha read 4/3/2016
✓ A - All I Love and Know read 11/16/2016
N
D
Frontierland 8/16
✓ A. Read a book that is tagged Historical Fiction on its GR Homepage AND takes place after 1800 in the US. Worthy Brown's Daughter by Phillip Margolin read 5/5/2016
B. Read a book that has either a cowboy or a horse on the cover Inescapable
✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in TOM SAWYER'S ISLAND. The Road from Gap Creek by Robert Morgan read 6/10/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in MARK TWAIN RAILROAD (3 Word Minimum). Reading Lolita in Tehran reead 9/5/2016
E. Spell out FRONTIERLAND.
✓ F - Frog Music read 9/27/2016
R
✓ O - On My Own Two Feet: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life by Amy Purdy read 4/7/2016
N
✓ T - Twelve Years a Slave read 12/31/2016
I
E
R
✓ L - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier read 6/9/2016
✓ A - The Angry Woman Suite read 12/19/2016
N
D
Fantasyland 6/15
✓ A. Read a retelling of a fairy tale or a book that is tagged Fantasy on its GR Homepage. Son (fantasy) read 4/6/2016
✓ B. Read a book with a castle, knight or a woman in a beautiful dress on the cover. My Brilliant Friend (woman in beautiful dress) read 10/18/2016
✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in MATTERHORN The Improbability of Love by Hannah Mary Rothschild read 5/28/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in SLEEPING BEAUTY CASTLE (3 Word Minimum). The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics by Barton Swaim read 6/19/2016
E. Spell out FANTASYLAND.
F
A
N
T
A
✓ S - The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith read 7/20/2016
Y
✓ L - Life Among Giants read 6/25/2016
A
N
D
Disneyland, cont'dLink to the Challenge
Tomorrowland 10/16
✓ A. Read a book that is tagged Dystopia or Science Fiction or a book that takes place in the future. A Wrinkle in Time read 8/24/2016
✓ B. Read a book with a planet or stars on the cover. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra read 4/22/2016
A Million Heavens
✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in AUTOPIA.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler read 4/10/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in SPACE MOUNTAIN (3 Word Minimum). The Other Story by Tatiana de Rosnay read 6/27/2016
E. Spell out TOMORROWLAND.
✓ T - The Tree of Hands read 12/21/2016
✓ O - The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics read 11/19/2016
✓ M - Moth Smoke read 11/24/2016
✓ O - The Opposite of Everyone read 11/24/2016
R
R
O
✓ W - Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox read 4/7/2016
✓ L - The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney read 7/23/2016
A
N
D
New Orleans Square 8/20
✓ A. Read a book that is set in New Orleans or a book that is tagged Paranormal. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (paranormal) read 6/11/2016
B. Read a book with a ship, statue or graveyard on the cover.
✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in HAUNTED MANSION.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield read 5/6/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (3 Word Minimum). Crazy Rich Asians read 12/17/2016
E. Spell Out NEW ORLEANS SQUARE.
N
E
✓ W - What Alice Forgot read 9/17/2016
O
R
✓ L - Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal read 8/11/2016
E
A
N
✓ S - Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson read 7/24/2016
✓ S - Someone read 8/15/2016
Q
✓ U - The Underdogs read 12/19/2016
A
R
E
Critter Country: Formerly Known as Bear Country 6/18
✓ A. Read a book that has a nature or wilderness setting. Destroyer Angel read 9/17/2016
✓ B. Read a book with an animal on the cover. Bettyville by George Hodgman read 5/22/2016
✓ C. Read a book in which the author's first AND last initial can be found in SPLASH MOUNTAIN.
Fashion, Lies, and Murder by Sibel Hodge read 7/31/2016
✓ D. Read a book in which the first letter of EVERY word in the title (include a,an,the) may be found in DAVY CROCKETT'S EXPLORER CANOES (3 Word Minimum). The Shelter Cycle by Peter Rock read 4/24/2016
E. Spell out CRITTER COUNTRY.
✓ C - Coincidence read 8/15/2016
R
I
T
T
E
R
✓ C - The Class of '65: A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness read 9/21/2016
O
U
N
T
R
Y
New challenge from the Crazy Challenge Connection Challenge groupCANDYLAND
Begins April 1, 2016
No deadline
Link to the Challenge
Roll one die
TO PLAY:
Go to random.org and roll ONE DIE, then move to the space indicated. (The red space at the beginning of the path counts as space #1). The book you read will be determined by the space you land on. For the plain colored spaces, you may choose any of the 10 tasks associated with that color, but you may only use each task ONCE per color until you have used all of the other tasks for that color.
Roll #1 - 5 Orange (bottom of Rainbow Trail)
✓ Read a book whose title starts with O; disregard A, An and The On My Own Two Feet: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life by Amy Purdy read 4/7/2016
Roll #2 - 6 Red (took shortcut up Rainbow Trail)
✓ Read a book with a MAIN character whose first initial can be found in RED; tell us the character A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler read 4/10/2016 Character is Redcliff Whitshank
Roll #3 - 2 Yellow
✓ Read a book with a 6 in its total number of pages; tell us how many pages A Sudden Light by Garth Stein read 4/14/2016 Goodreads says this book have 416 pages; the actual number of pages in the edition I read is 396
Roll #4 - 3 Green
✓ Read a book with a calm/sedate character; tell us the character The Shelter Cycle by Peter Rock read 4/24/2016 The 'calm/sedate character is Colville
Roll #5 - 3 Yellow
✓ Read a book with HISTORY or HISTORICAL FICTION on its main Goodreads page Astray by Emma Donoghue read 4/26/2016
Roll #6 - 5 Red
✓ Read a book with ROMANCE on its main Goodreads page. The Tilted World by Tom Franklin read 4/29/2016
Roll # 7 - 2 Yellow
✓ Read a book with a cowardly character Worthy Brown's Daughter by Phillip Margolin read 5/5/2016. The cowardly character is Caleb Barbour
Roll #8 - 6 Yellow
✓ Read a book set in a location that begins with a letter in YELLOW; tell us the location Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg read 5/9/2016. This book takes place in Elmwood Springs
Roll #9 - 3 Green
✓ Read a book with a MAIN character whose first initial can be found in GREEN; tell us the character Bettyville by George Hodgman One of the main characters is named George read 5/22/2016
Roll #10 - 4 Blue
✓ Read a book whose title starts with B; disregard A, An and The. Broken Harbor by Tana French read 5/23/2016
Roll #11 - 1 Orange
✓ Read a book with a MAIN character whose first initial can be found in ORANGE; tell us the character My Story by Elizabeth Smart The main character is the author, Elizabeth Smart read 5/26/2016
Roll #12 - 3 (5) LOLLIPOP = Read a book with consecutive double letters in its title Summer Island by Kristin Hannah read 6/1/2016
Roll #13 - 4 Orange
✓ Read a book with NON-FICTION on its main Goodreads page A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah read 6/9/2016
Roll #14 - 1 Green
✓ Read a book with CHICK LIT or WOMEN’S FICTION on its main Goodreads page Delicious! read 6/25/2016
Roll #15 - 5 Blue
✓ Read a book originally published in April The Other Story by Tatiana de Rosnay published April 15 2014 read 6/27/2016
Roll #16 - 2 Green
✓ Read a book by an author whose first OR last initial can be found in GREEN; be sure to POST A LINK to the author’s name No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene read 7/3/2016
Roll #17 - 3 Yellow
✓ Read a book originally published in February The Long and Faraway Gone published 2/10/2015 read 7/23/2016
Roll #18 - 1 Blue
✓ Read a book with a 4 in its total number of pages; tell us how many pages Fashion, Lies, and Murder Kindle Edition 254 pages read 7/31/2016
Roll #18 - 2 Green
✓ Read a book set in a location that begins with a letter in GREEN; tell us the location Lucky Us is set in Great Neck, NY read 8/22/2016
Roll #19 - 3 Yellow
✓ Read a book with a daytime scene on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover Nobody's Fool read 9/10/2016
Roll #20 - 1 Blue
✓ Read a book with a predominantly blue cover; post the cover Destroyer Angel read 9/17/2016
Roll #21 - 3 Red
✓ Read a book originally published in March The Class of '65: A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness published March 31, 2015 read 9/21/2016
Roll #22 - 1 Purple
✓ Read a book with MYSTERY or THRILLER on its main Goodreads page The Spellman Files read 9/24/2016
Roll #23 - 4 Green
✓ Read a book whose title starts with G; disregard A, An and The A Good Hard Look read 10/16/2016
Roll #24 - 2 Last space - end of game
TASKS FOR SPECIAL SPACES:
COLORED SPACES WITH DOTS:
GOOEY GUMDROPS (yellow with black dot) = Read THREE books with covers that are primarily yellow; post the covers
LOST IN THE LOLLIPOP WOODS (blue with black dot) = Read THREE books with covers that are primarily blue; post the covers
STUCK IN THE MOLASSES SWAMP (red with black dot) = Read THREE books with covers that are primarily red; post the covers
PINK SPECIALTY SPACES:
Spaces are numbered on the board to make it easier to determine which space you've landed on.
(1) GUMBALL / HARD CANDY = Read a book with something round on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
(2) CANDY CANE = Read a book in which Christmas is celebrated
(3) GUMDROP = Read a book with candy or a dessert on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
(4) PEANUT BRITTLE = Read a book with a 2-word title
(5) LOLLIPOP = Read a book with consecutive double letters in its title
(6) SNOWFLAKE = Read a book with snow in the title (compound words accepted) or on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
Reserved for CANDYLAND overflowTASKS FOR PLAIN COLORED SPACES:
RED:
* Read a book with a predominantly red cover; post the cover
* Read a book by an author whose first OR last initial can be found in RED; be sure to POST A LINK to the author’s name
* Read a book with a 3 in its total number of pages; tell us how many pages
* Read a book whose title starts with R; disregard A, An and The The Road from Gap Creek
* Read a book with a heart or star shape (NOT just white dots in the sky) on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
* Read a book set in a location that begins with a letter in RED; tell us the location
* Read a book with a character who has anger issues; tell us the character
PURPLE:
* Read a book with a predominantly purple cover; post the cover
* Read a book by an author whose first AND last initials can be found in PURPLE; be sure to POST A LINK to the author’s name
* Read a book with a 0 in its total number of pages; tell us how many pages
* Read a book whose title starts with P; disregard A, An and The
* Read a book with a night time scene on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
* Read a book set in a location that begins with a letter in PURPLE; tell us the location
* Read a book with a royal or titled character (king, queen, prince, princess, lord, lady, etc.) ; tell us the character
* Read a book originally published in June
* Read a book with a MAIN character whose first initial can be found in PURPLE; tell us the character
YELLOW:
* Read a book with a predominantly yellow cover; post the cover & Sons
* Read a book by an author whose first AND last initials can be found in YELLOW; be sure to POST A LINK to the author’s name
* Read a book whose title starts with Y; disregard A, An and The
* Read a book with a MAIN character whose first initial can be found in YELLOW; tell us the character
BLUE:
* Read a book with SCI-FI, FANTASY or DYSTOPIAN on its main Goodreads page
* Read a book by an author whose first OR last initial can be found in BLUE; be sure to POST A LINK to the author’s name
* Read a book with a planet or moon in the title or on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
* Read a book set in a location that begins with a letter in BLUE; tell us the location
* Read a book with a sad character; tell us the character
* Read a book with a MAIN character whose first initial can be found in BLUE; tell us the character
ORANGE:
* Read a book with a predominantly orange cover; post the cover
* Read a book by an author whose first AND last initial can be found in ORANGE; be sure to POST A LINK to the author’s name Robert Galbraith
* Read a book with a 2 in its total number of pages; tell us how many pages
* Read a book with a fire/flames in the title (compound words accepted) or on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
* Read a book set in a location that begins with a letter in ORANGE; tell us the location
* Read a book with a bouncy, perky character; tell us the character
* Read a book originally published in January
GREEN:
* Read a book with a predominantly green cover; post the cover Love the One You're With, Mumbai New York Scranton: A Memoir, Forgotten
* Read a book with a 5 in its total number of pages; tell us how many pages
* Read a book with a tree or plant on the cover; must be easily seen on GR thumbnail; post the cover
* Read a book originally published in May
March wrap-upPersonal challenges:
140 book reading goal: 53/140 = 37.8%
2016 TBR Reading Pile Challenge 28/50 = 56%
Color Coded Reading Challenge 4/9 = 44%
Yearly Challenges:
Every Year Challenge 12/19 = 63.2%
I-Spy: Book Titles Edition 14/25 = 56%
Around the World in Books 6/10 = 60%
From Fiction to Reality 6/10 books = 60%, 2/5 pairs = 40%
Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge 20/40 = 50%
TBR Randomiser Challenge 10/30 = 33.3%
Listopia Challenge 10/12 = 83.3%
A-Z Challenge – Character Edition 22/26 = 84.6%
Recommended by Reading Challengers 5/10 = 50%
Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge 11/24 = 45.8%
Modern Mrs. Darcy Challenge 6/12 = 50%
Quarterly Challenges
1st qtr Group Reads Challenge 3/3 = 100% Challenge completed!
1st qtr Build Your Own Box Set 6/6 = 100% Challenge completed!
Monthly Challenges
Jan. Marathon Challenge 17/14 = 121.4% Challenge completed!
Feb History Challenge 5/5 = 100% Challenge completed!
Feb. Leap Day Challenge 1/1 = 100% Challenge completed!
March #readwomen Challenge 5/5 = 100% Challenge completed!
2016 TBR READING PILE CHALLENGE - March recap# books TBR - beginning of year: 394
#books TBR - end of Feb: 388
Books added in March: 21
Books read/currently reading: 18
# books TBR - end of March: 391
Books on list over 1 year (beginning of year/current): 315/287
Books by year added (beginning of year/current):
2011: 1/1
2012: 28/22
2013: 166/158
2014: 120/106
2015: 79/62
2nd quarterApril reading plans
Book clubs - April meetings
Personal challenges:
1 book for Color Coded Reading Challenge (on track, 4/9 read thru Mar)
Group Challenges:
1 books for Every Year Challenge (on track, 12/19 read thru Mar)
1 books for I-Spy: Book Titles Edition (on track, 14/25 thru Mar)
1 book for Around the World in Books (on track, 6/10 read thru Mar)
1 book for Listopia Challenge (on track, 10/12 read thru Mar)
1 book for Modern Mrs. Darcy Challenge (on track 6/12 read thru Mar)
5 books for WRC TBR Challenge - end date 3/21/17 (2/60 read thru Mar) A Sudden Light, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Astray
Books to read:
NOS4A2 (nook) WRC TBR, Book Riot, Scrabble
The Road from Gap Creek (play) Randomizer
Coincidence (nook) Around the World in Books, Randomizer
Standing in the Rainbow (ebook) CCC Candyland (green), Every Year, Color Coded, Disney (Adventureland)
The Girl who saved the king of Sweden (nook) WRC TBR, CCC School Days
ebooks on hold:
The Silkworm (audio-DeKalb)
Broken Harbor (Denver)
Lamb (Denver)
A Tale for the Time Being (Denver)
Broken Harbor (Jeffco)
The Improbability of Love (Jeffco)
Challenge I may want to modify and do on my own:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
WRC April 2016 Mini ChallengeDate: 04/01/16 - 04/30/16
Link to the Challenge
TASKS:
✓ 1. April: Read a book published in April. Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox read 4/7/2016 Published 4/30/2013
✓ 2. Fourth Month: April is the fourth month of the year. Read the fourth book of a series or book #4 from your TBR. Son read 4/6/2016
✓ 3. Daisy or Sweet Pea: April's flower is listed both as the Daisy and the Sweet Pea. Read a book with the name of a flower in the title, or a book with a white or pink cover. March Violets read 4/18/2016
✓ 4. Zodiac: The zodiac signs for April are Aries (until April 20) and Taurus (April 21st forward). Read a book with an adventurous character or a character that is stubborn or strong-willed, OR a book in which the author's first or last name that begins with 'A' or 'T'. On My Own Two Feet: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life by Amy Purdy read 4/7/2016
4/4 Challenge complete!
April reading54. Lunch with Buddha read 4/3/2016 ★★★★☆
55. Shooting Kabul read 4/5/2016 ★★★★★
56. Son read 4/6/2016 ★★★☆☆
57. Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir read 4/7/2016 ★★★☆☆
58. On My Own Two Feet: The Journey from Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life read 4/7/2016 ★★★★☆
59. A Spool of Blue Thread read 4/10/2016 ★★★☆☆
60. A Sudden Light read 4/14/2016 ★★★★☆
61. March Violets read 4/18/2016 ★★☆☆☆
62. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena read 4/22/2016 ★★★★★
63. What'll Ya Have: A History Of The Varsity read 4/22/2016 ★★★★☆
64. The Shelter Cycle read 4/24/2016 ★★★☆☆
65. Astray read 4/26/2016 ★★★☆☆
66. The Tilted World read 4/29/2016 ★★★★☆
CCC HELP ME DECIDE CHALLENGEDURATION: April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2017
I'd like to join this challenge, too, starting with round 2. Please use this shelf: Pick 4 Me book shelf Thanks!
Link to the Challenge
Round 2: Apr 16 - Picked by: Allie
✓ The Thirteenth Tale read 5/6/2016
Also recommended by Allie:
The Silkworm read 7/20/2016
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City
Round 3: Apr 30 - Picked by: Amanda K
✓ A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier read 6/9/2016
Also recommended by Amanda K
Dark Places, The Hundred-Foot Journey
Round 4: May 14 - Picked by: Amelia
✓ My Story read 5/26/2016
Also recommended by Amelia:
The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Rithmatist
Round 5: May 28 - Picked by: Angie H.
✓ A Fine Balance read 7/9/2016
Also recommended by Angie H.
Love the One You're With, The Storyteller, Fly Away
Round 6: Jun 11 - Picked by Chelsi
✓ The Master's Muse read 8/3/2016
Also recommended by Chelsi
The Storyteller, The Paris Architect, Lab Girl
Round 7: Jun 25 - Picked by Debbie (Doc)
✓ Someone Else's Love Story read 7/24/2016
Also recommended by Debbie (Doc)
Dream Man, The Bookseller
Round 8: Jul 9 - Picked by Nadine
✓ What Alice Forgot read 9/17/2016
Also recommended by Nadine
Not My Father's Son, The Rithmatist
Round 9: Jul 23 - Picked by Megalion
✓ Not My Father's Son read 8/8/2016
Also recommended by Megalion
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
Round 10: Aug 6 - Picked by Kelly
✓ Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church read 8/14/2016
Also recommended by Kelly
Lab Girl, Hide
Round 11: Aug 20 - picked by Nadine
✓ A Wrinkle in Time read 8/24/2016
Also recommended by Nadine
The Storyteller, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
Round 12: Sep 3 - picked by Barb
✓ The Class of '65: A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness read 9/21/2016
Also recommended by Barb
The Janus Stone, Songs in Ordinary Time
Round 13: Sep 17 - picked by Bonita
✓ Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art read 9/25/2016
Also recommended
The Round House, Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women
Round 14: Oct 1 - picked by Ashley Marie
✓ The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics read 11/19/2016
Also recommended by Ashley Marie
Dark Places, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't
Round 15: Oct 15 - Agnieszka picks for Susan
✓ The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't read 11/12/2016
Also recommended by Agnieszka:
The Husband's Secret, A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy,
The Echo Maker
Round 16: Oct 29 - Kris picks for Susan
✓ Cooking as Fast as I Can: A Chef’s Story of Family, Food, and Forgiveness read 11/4/2016
Also recommended by Kris
Dark Places, All the Lasting Things
Round 17: Nov 12 - picked by PepperP0t
✓ Moth Smoke read 11/24/2016
Also recommended by PepperP0t
Twelve Years a Slave, Inescapable, All the Lasting Things
Round 18: Nov 26 - picked by Linda C
✓ The Museum of Extraordinary Things read 12/10/2016
Also recommended: Hamilton: The Revolution,
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
Round 19: Dec 10 - picked by Taleisin
✓ Inside Out & Back Again read 12/22/2016
Also recommended: The Mapmaker's Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon, The Paris Architect
Round 20: Dec 24 - Cat picks for Susan
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
Also recommended: The Husband's Secret, Self Storage, Moonlight on Butternut Lake
Round 21: Jan 7 - post your suggestions by Jan 10
Round 22: Jan 21 - post your suggestions by Jan 24
Round 23: Feb 4 - post your suggestions by Feb 7
Round 24: Feb 18 - post your suggestions by Feb 21
Round 25: Mar 4 - post your suggestions by Mar 7
Round 26: Mar 18 - post your suggestions by Mar 21
CCC SCHOOL DAYS, no deadlineLink to the Challenge
✓ KINDERGARTEN
extended families
phone number/address
colors/numbers
✓ Read a book by an author who shares a first name with someone in your family. My husband's name is Tom, so I read The Tilted World by Tom Franklin read 4/29/2016
✓ Read a book with one number from your street address in the total number of pages (Ex.: If your street address is 467 Main Street, you would need a 4, 6 or 7 in the number of pages) A Sudden Light read 4/14/2016 My house number is 1643 - Goodreads says that this book is 416 pages; the actual book is 396 pages. Either way, it works.
✓ Read a book whose cover is more than 75% your favorite color; post the cover. My favorite color is purple
The Shelter Cycle by Peter Rock read 4/24/2016
1st GRADE:
capital letters
count beyond 100
recess
✓ Read a book by an author who uses an initial instead of a first name The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan read 5/1/2016
✓ Read a book from a series with more than 15 books; tell us where it falls in the series Destroyer Angel by Nevada Barr #18 in the Anna Pigeon series read 9/17/2016
✓ Read a book just for fun The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson read 8/21/2016
2nd GRADE:
basic fractions
different types of sentences
rhymes
* Read a book whose cover is divided into (relatively even) halves, thirds or quarters; post the cover We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
(Ex: Next to Love by Ellen Feldman)
✓ Read a book whose title is a question Just What Kind of Mother Are You? read 12/25/2016
✓ Read a book whose title contains at least two words that rhyme A Good Hard Look read 10/16/2016
3rd GRADE:
multiplication/division
chapter books & non-fiction, cursive writing
geography
* Read a book whose original year of publication is evenly divisible by 3 (for 3rd grade); tell us the year - 2016
* Read a book whose title is written in cursive writing; post the cover Career of Evil, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
* Read a book set in a place you've never visited; tell us the setting
4th GRADE:
lines/angles
punctuation
home state history/geography
* Read a book with a straight line that runs the entire length or width of the cover; post the cover The Secret Place, Soldier Dogs
* Read a book with some sort of punctuation in its title
* Read a book set in your home state or, for our international friends, read a book set in your home country; tell us the setting
5th GRADE:
book reports
geometric shapes
government & its branches
art
* Read a book from this list:
Popular Book Report Books and write at least a 3-sentence review of it; tell us its position on the list Less Than Zero (243)
* Read a book with a basic geometric shape on its cover (square, triangle, circle, etc.); post the cover The Affairs of Others, The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language
* Read a book in which a character works for the government of his/her town/state/country
* Read a book with what you consider an artistic cover; post the cover
6th GRADE:
current events
ancient civilizations
lab science
keyboarding, music
* Read a book set in the current day
* Read a book set in an ancient civilization
* Read a book with a character who works in a lab The Janus Stone
* Read a book in which music is important to the plot; tell us how OR a book with a character who is a writer/author/journalist; tell us the career
7th GRADE:
natural world
human body
American history
family & consumer science
* Read a book with a cover that shows only "nature" -- no buildings, no people, no roads, only wild animals/plants; post the cover The Purchase, The House of Rumour
* Read a book with an entire human body on the cover; post the cover Maine
* Read any historical fiction book OR a non-fiction book about some aspect of American history; tell us the subject
* Read a book in which a character earns his/her living by cooking/baking or sewing/quilting; tell us the career
8th GRADE:
guidance counselor
heredity
phys ed
organization
* Read a book in which a character benefits from the guidance of another character
* Read a book with a parent and his/her child as two of the main characters
* Read a book with a character who works out regularly
* Go through your TBR list/pile, weed out the books you are no longer interested in, then read one of the hidden gems you found while you were weeding; tell us where it was hiding on your list :)
9th GRADE:
algebra
world history
earth science
sports
* Read a book with an X somewhere in the title or the author's name The Nest, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City
* Read a book set somewhere other than in the country where you live; tell us the setting and where you live
* Read a book with a moon or planet (other than Earth) on the cover; post the cover Moonlight on Butternut Lake: A Novel, Ripper
* Read a book with a character who is an athlete; tell us the sport
10th GRADE:
after school job
foreign language
geometry
European history
* Read a book whose title begins with J, O or B (disregard A, An or The)
* Read a book whose title contains a foreign word (possible words: du jour, déjà vu, mea culpa, quiche, aloha, macaron, geisha
NOTE: If the title is in English, the word must be a language other than English. If the title is in another language, the word must be a different language
* Read a book in which a character must prove that s/he is not guilty of an accusation (proofs in geometry)
* Read a book set in Europe; tell us which country
11th GRADE:
SATs
driver's ed
chemistry
world cultures
* Read a book in which a character takes a test or exam of some sort
* Read a book with a motorized, wheeled vehicle on the cover; post the cover
* Read a book with a lot of explosions (chem lab gone bad!)
* Read a book set in a country you'd like to visit; tell us where
12th GRADE:
National Honor Society
swimming
grad(uation) project
prom
* Read a book with a very intelligent character
* Read a book whose cover shows a body of water in which you could swim; post the cover
* Read a coming-of-age book ( OR you can change this to a book with YA on its main GR page )
* Read a book in which a once-in-a-lifetime event happens OR a book with a tuxedo or a pretty dress on the cover; post the cover
Congratulations! You’ve graduated from high school :) Now you must choose whether to go to college or to vocational school and start your career sooner. Tasks for either option must be completed in the order posted here!
COLLEGE :
FRESHMAN:
gen ed classes, orientation
* Read two books from any genre/s you choose; tell us the genres
SOPHOMORE:
* Read two books from one of those two genres (your college major); tell us which genre you chose
JUNIOR:
* Read two books within that same genre that were originally published in the same year; tell us the year
SENIOR:
* Read two books by the same author within the genre you chose for your sophomore year
MASTERS DEGREE:
* Read four books from ONE sub-genre within the genre you chose for your sophomore year
PhD - dissertation:
* Read six books by the same author from within the genre you chose for your sophomore year
Ex: For your Freshman year, you choose one historical fiction book and one mystery book.
For your Sophomore year, you narrow it down to two mystery books.
For your Junior year, you read two mystery books published in the same year.
For your Senior year, you read two mystery books by the same author.
For your Masters degree, you read four historical mystery books.
For your PhD, you read six historical mystery books by Elizabeth Peters
**************************************************************************
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL:
* Read four books with a main character in a "blue collar" job - each job must be different; tell us the occupation for each book
STARTING OUT:
* Read two books with NEW ADULT on their main GR pages
NEW JOB:
* Read two books in which a main character is starting or training for a new (permanent) job
FIRST APARTMENT/HOME:
* Read one book in which a main character moves from one home to another AND one book with the exterior of a residential building on the cover; post the cover
FURNISH APARTMENT:
* Read two books with "home-style" furniture on the cover (not office furniture); post the covers
PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR PERSONAL VEHICLE - choose one!
* Read two books with a character who owns his/her own transportation vehicle OR
**OR**
* Read two books with a character who does not
BILLS/CHORES:
* Read two books with a character who struggles financially, physically or emotionally; struggle must be significant, not just being unable to afford eating out
SOCIAL LIFE:
* Read two books with a character in a new friendly or romantic relationship
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Paris Architect (other topics)The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (other topics)
Twelve Years a Slave (other topics)
Twelve Years a Slave (other topics)
Twelve Years a Slave (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Solomon Northup (other topics)Thanhhà Lại (other topics)
Nicholas Sparks (other topics)
Nicholas Sparks (other topics)
Melissa Fay Greene (other topics)
More...
I'm finishing 2015 with more than 140 books, but I decided to go with this number since I'm planning to be busier this year and will not have quite as much time to read.
Link to my member corner