2025 Reading Challenge discussion

It's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

2. What were your favorite books this year?

3. What were your least favorites?

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

5. Did you discover any new genres?

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did not, but I still have a few hours, so I may. :)

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Dark Matter, When Breath Becomes Air, A Darker Shade of Magic

3. What were your least favorites?
Under a Raging Moon, In Stitches, The Red Pyramid

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Well, When Breath Becomes Air made me cry, so I'd say that took me out of my comfort zone.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Not this year, but I'll try harder next year.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Listopia. Always.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? Yes, by 2 books

2. What were your favorite books this year? That is hard to say, I read alot of books maybe the Laura Carr books were my favorite

3. What were your least favorites? That I did not really have. I could say for my lowest was a 3 stars book.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? I was out of comfort zone a bit with a few books

5. Did you discover any new genres? I am not really sure. I know one was horror

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? Bingo

This is one of my favorite things!

1. Yes, I did, and I had to raise my goal twice.
2. The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things, and Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
3. The Metamorphosis of a Muslim: Autobiography of My Conversion and The Shining.
4. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The Kite Runner, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings were all books that discussed a difficult topic for me.
5. I discovered that I really enjoy graphic novels. I read Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal and V for Vendetta. I couldn't put them down.
6. I participated in several yearly challenges! Too many! My favorite was the Listopia Challenge. I was able to mark off so many books of my life long list of books to read!

Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I did read 34 books out of 30.

What were your favorite books this year?
Me Before You, Small Great Things, The Things We Keep, Rebecca

What were your least favorites?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Princess Bride

Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
The Alchemist

Did you discover any new genres?
No, but discovering new genres is definitely my goal for 2017!

If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Around the world in books!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
My goal was 45 I at change it to 40 because I ran out of Time

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Me Before You J K Rowling

3. What were your least favorites?
Room

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? The Ultimate Smut Collection 5

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Erotic

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Tbr Random challenge, lets turn pages

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did about an hour and a half before it closed :)

2. What were your favorite books this year?
We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story , Holding Up the Universe , Gracefully Grayson

3. What were your least favorites?
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope mainly because it was a required read

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
I wish, that is a goal of mine for 2017

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Auto-Biographies, particularity those written as if it were a story

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I did not

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes! 130 out of 100. I joined this group at the end of 2015 and found the challenges really motivated me to exceed my goal.

2. What were your favorite books this year?


3. What were your least favorites?
The Goddess Within and The Witches: Salem, 1692

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
. It was over 1000 pages and rather unusual. Really liked it though!

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I discovered a new found enjoyment in historical fiction, something I hadn't read very much of before.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Probably From Fiction to Reality as it encouraged me to read some great non-fiction.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
- Yes, I had a brilliant reading year - the best ever so far :-)

2. What were your favorite books this year?
- A Man Called Ove + Everything, Everything

3. What were your least favorites?
- One Hundred Years of Solitude + Catch-22

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
- I used to read mainly mystery/crime books, but since joining Goodreads I am much more open to other genres.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
- No, but my interest in both YA, fantasy and light sci-fi has grown significantly!

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
- I have done the popsugar challenge twice now, and like it very much, but this year I want to try out many more!!!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I did – could have gone for more, it was my first year counting the books I read.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Fictional: Stern der Ungeborenen (Star of the Unborn) by Franz Werfel and Legenden (Stories and Legends) by Stefan Zweig:


3. What were your least favorites?
Fictional: Jenseits der Liebe (Beyond all Love) by Martin Walser.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Maybe the Divergent series: First reading the whole series in English (usually I only read non-fictional books in English) and second reading contemporary literature (which I don't do that often admittedly).

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Not a whole genre, but read a book about scientific theory for the first time and some about the biological foundations of differences in men and women, which was quite interesting.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Didn't participate as I just joined the group yesterday.

Kara wrote: "It's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I read over 44 books after making a goal of 30.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Into the Wilderness, Sullivan, Meet the New Dawn, Eagle's Song, Do Not Forsake Me, and Love's Sweet Revenge.

3. What were your least Favorites?
Farewell My Queen

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? I attempted to read War and Peace and barely got past the first 100 pages.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I started reading Western Romances; many of them also covered Native American history as a background to the plot, being that I usually only read a lot historical fiction/romance. I also finished a lot of books in a series.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? I just joined a few days ago.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I initially set my target at 46 and then changed it to 80 and ended up reading 109.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
I had 11 5 star rated books. Three books that I didn't give 5 stars have really stayed with me though. , and

3. What were your least favorites?
Dubliners, Gone Girl and The Shining

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
War and Peace. So proud I've read it!

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Science fiction and fantasy

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
So many but Chloe's 10 Challenge was good and Clear the Shelves.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did not. Missed it by 4.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
I LOVED Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon by Bronwen Dickey, runner-ups: Difficult Women by Roxane Gay, The Turner House by Angela Flournoy, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

3. What were your least favorites?
I always hate this part BUT A Little Life, H is for Hawk - great parts, but overall, just not favorites.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap by Matt Taibbi was a bit of a stretch in that in was periodically technical, but he's a great teacher so the confusion didn't last long.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Not this year.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Around the World.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
My initial goal was 60, I missed that by 3. I upped my goal to 80 thinking I was going to get through it too quickly then had a 2 month reading slump and missed that goal by 22.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
The Midnight Texas series by Charlaine Harris.

3. What were your least favorites?
didn't really have a least favorite.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
the last Christian

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Not this year.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
didn't participate in any.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I kind of demolished it actually - ok, that's partly cos I should have increased it and didn't, but I eventually ended up at 249 but actually 250 out of 180.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
In the order I read them, Waiting for Godot, Back From the Brink: The Autobiography, Watchmen, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Blindness, The God of Small Things, Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter, Middlesex, but that's leaving far too many unnamed.

3. What were your least favorites?
Again in the order I read them, The Woggle-Bug Book, The Emerald City of Oz, The Magic of Oz, Lady Susan, Madame Doubtfire, Z-Minus I, Midnight's Choice, Wild Blood.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? and 5. Did you discover any new genres?
Kinda sorta? I feel like I don't really *have* a comfort zone as such, and I'm not too sure I discovered any new genres this year, but being committed to reading slightly more Irishly this year did get me to branch into legal documents (Bunreacht Na hEireann: Constitution of Ireland) and academic music criticism (Rock and Popular Music in Ireland: Before and After U2). [I was going to say metafiction too with [book:At Swim-Two-Birds|97333] but I think I've seen that one before now.] I'm also fairly sure Men Explain Things to Me is the first essay collection I've ever read too.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I Spy or Popsugar, though I think I Spy just shades it for me.

I did my goal also I signed up for this website, I am new and I am loving it so far. All the books I read were my favourite.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I started off with 30 books that I intended to read, then changed it to 50 and ended up reading 63 books.

2. What were your favourite books this year?
1. The Bad Habits of Jesus: Showing Us the Way to Live Right in a World Gone Wrong
2. Who Gave You Permission?
3. Love Warrior
4. The Fireman
5. Maternity Leave
6. The Silkworm
7. Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength
8. The Book Thief

3. What were your least favourites?
I had lots of least favourites last year.
1. The Husband's Secret
2. The Children Act
3. A God in Ruins
4. The Girl on the Train
5. The Secret Chord
6. True to Form
7. The Goldfinch
8. The Book of Unholy Mischief
9. Looking for Alibrandi
10. Chocolate: An Erotic Romance In Siberia

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Yes. The Fireman

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Mild horror

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favourite?
I don't think I did participate in any challenges.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

Yes, I increased my goal to 250 books in the middle of the year, and surpassed it by reading 275 books.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

Oh, I have so many :)

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto
Among Others by Jo Walton
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami

3. What were your least favorites?

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
The Mistake by Elle Kennedy
The Matisse Stories by A.S. Byatt
OZ by Adam Fawer
In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

Well, I guess I can say that reading books like I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide was me stretching out of my comfort zone, since I mostly prefer reading fiction in order to escape reality and find solace in other worlds.

5. Did you discover any new genres?

Not discover, since I knew these genres already, yet maybe I can say I've tasted them? Like science non-fiction, steampunk, feminist books and Greek classics.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

I think it was Pop Sugar since it was fun to read books matching with descriptions.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

YES! Just barely, but I made 30.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
All the Light We Cannot See

3. What were your least favorites?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Gulliver's Travels

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Infinite Jest. I STILL don't know what it was about.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Nope

2016 IN REVIEW

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
No, I ended up playing a lot of games too and I also had a huge slump for a while so I ended up with 65 books. It''s still more than before I started challenges by a lot.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
The Martian by a mile. I'm still craving more..

3. What were your least favorites?
Probably a Goosebumps book. They are easy to read, but a little too silly some times. But hey I'm not exactly the target for them any more.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Yes. I read a very weird book that at times had me almost sick and yet were a very good book.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I wouldn't say that. I continued to explore Sci Fi if not as much as I'd hoped for.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Popsugar is my all time favorite. I also always love I SPY and the A-Z werew great.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? Yes, I read 27 books more than planned

2. What were your favourite books this year? Morning Star was absolutely amazing. I loved Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2. I was pleasantly surprised by Heartless and Uprooted. And it was great to reread one of my all time favourites: The Time Traveler's Wife

3. What were your least favorites? The Maze Runner trilogy started off so well but by the time I got to The Death Cure I lost interest in the whole series. I was also really disappointed with the last book in the Temeraire series: League of Dragons

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Yes, I don't usually read Horror but I did enjoy The Fireman. I also managed to read War and Peace which was definitely challenging.

5. Did you discover any new genres? Not really unless you count Horror as mentioned above

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favourite? I liked the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards Challenge because there were so many good books published in 2016. I also managed to read a few of the nominees and winners

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? - Yes. I passed it by reading 25 more books.

2. What were your favourite books this year? - I loved A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schwab. I also loved Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

3. What were your least favourites? - A Weekend in Paris by Robin Sisman.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? - The only ones I can think of were Illuminae and Gemina. They were unlike any sci-fi book I've read before.

5. Did you discover any new genres? - Not really but I did discover that I liked sci-fi more than I originally thought.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favourite? - I only recently joined this group so I couldn't have joined in with any of the challenges. I'm looking forward to doing some this year though.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? - I did not meet my goal but I was only off by three books. Fifty books is still a good number and given the year I had, I am going to cut myself some slack! :)

2. What were your favorite books this year? Our Souls at Night, A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, The Final Empire and Prodigal Summer

3. What were your least favorites? The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska and The Copy

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? X Out Of Wonderland A farce written in a very different style that I actually liked. Was glad it was short though because I really had to concentrate to follow it.

5. Did you discover any new genres? I can't say I read new genres but I tend to read a great deal of science fiction and fantasy. I did, however, read more traditional fiction in 2016 and had some pleasant surprises - especially Our Souls at Night and Prodigal Summer - two beautifully written books!

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? Hmmm, I would have to say Listopia but I really enjoyed Around the World too. I read different books as a result of that challenge.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I met my original goal of 15 so increased it to 25. I did not quite make that one.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
I discovered the Throne of Glass series this yeas. Those were my favorites.

3. What were your least favorites?
I tried so hard to get into The Book Thief but just didn't like it. I was not able to finish it.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
I had a pretty easy reading year so can't think of one.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I did not know steampunk even existed.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I just joined the group in November so did not participate in any yearly challenges. I am signed up for almost all of them for 2017!!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did - at 23:50, so literally in the nick of time.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
White Mughals, The Luck of the Bodkins, The Surgeon of Crowthorne, Orley Farm, Duncton Wood, The Family from One End Street, plus all the kiddie lit I read in December- Enid Blyton plus new (to me) authors Ellen MacGregor and Thornton Burgess

3. What were your least favorites?
I didn't as such dislike any books I read this year

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Not really, I guess.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Chick-lit- I'd never really read any but read quite a few Sophie Kinsella books at the beginning of the year which I thoroughly enjoyed.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Not any yearly challenges but I did do some quarterly ones which I enjoyed.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes! This time I surpassed my reading goal by 17 books.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
(the Lunar series)
3. What were your least favorites?

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Yes. It's a series by Ophelia Bell
It has m/m, 3/4somes, orgies and just very steamy sex

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Erotica
6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Listopia

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? yes! 40 books, 11158 pages.

2. What were your favorite books this year?



3. What were your least favorites?



I wanted so much more for them... :-(

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

No, but I am a relatively diverse reader.

5. Did you discover any new genres?

I read a couple of memories, which aren't something I normally read. But I find the older I get, the more interested in the lives of those who are close in age to me, but live very different lives from me?

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

Yes -- I enjoyed the recommended reads challenge, despite no meeting my goal (mostly because other shiny books....)

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I passed it!!!

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Oh that's hard to say... I guess if I have to choose it would be Saga, Volume 1, Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy, Orange: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1, and Howl's Moving Castle.

3. What were your least favorites?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Not really, I did read more poetry and Biography's this year than I usually read in a year... so yeah.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Not really but I found that I love certain genres/sub-genres more than I did before like cyborgs in science fiction as well as contemporary fiction.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
The TBR Randomiser Challenge.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

- Yes, I set a goal of 100 books and managed to read about 140 or so.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

- because I had read a review in The Daily Mail and thought, 'ooh that sounds good.' And a while afterwards I bought it. I always like non-fiction books but this one really took me by surprise as it a deviation from my normal non-fiction reading (I like to read about war and stuff).

3. What were your least favorites?

- Dark Places because I just really didn't get into it. I enjoyed it overall and probably would recommend it, but personally I didn't enjoy it.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

- The Invasion of the Tearling because I normally don't read fantasy books -- the genre particularly irks me in general -- so it was something different.

5. Did you discover any new genres?

- No, I pretty much read what I know.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

- I participated in no yearly challenges.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I didn't have a reading goal for 2016 since I found this site and then saw the challenge. I did read more last year than previous years, so I did more in the last year in terms of becoming a better reader.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
My favorites were Off to Be the Wizard, What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, and Colorworld.

3. What were your least favorites?
Can't say I found books that left me disappointed since, I didn't read as much. I did read more but I didn't read much still.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Yes, American Gods by Neil Gaiman(still working on it) is a book that is not from a genre I read from too much and it's a more adult oriented book than the YA books I tended to read more to get into reading. I'm really liking it so far, but it's definitely a longer and more deep read than I'm used it.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Fiction. With American Gods, it's definitely got the Fiction/Fantasy mix but with a lot less into the dystopian, post apocalyptic, heroine ala Hunger Games teen oriented stuff.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I'm afraid not, but it's a new year!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Initially no, but I lowered my goal from 150 to 97 in October when I realised I was too far behind to catch up. I reached my *new* goal by the skin of my teeth.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
The Art of Being Normal, Beauty for Ashes, Fallen Too Far, Christmas Under the Stars

3. What were your least favorites?
Big Girl Small - I just did NOT need this books plot in my life.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
The Virgin Suicides - I had watched the film with AJ Cooke December 2014 and really wanted to read the actual book...one of my big aims for 2017 is to read more classics.

5. Did you discover any new genres? Thriller...I found a love for Gillian Flynn and Elizabeth Little.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? n/a

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? Not quite. I really tried, and am going for 50 again!
2. What were your favorite books this year? Tulip Fever, News of the World,Mischling, Call the Midwife series, Cold Comfort Farm, Rush,Oh!, The Nightingale, The Color Purple, And The Little Paris Bookshop
3. What were your least favorite? Pride and Prejudice (I didn't finish), and Lolita (sorry!)
4. Was there a book that stretched you out of your comfort zone? Probably Lolita. Very hard to justify why a book about a pedophile is classic.
5. Did you discover any new genres? No
6. Participated in any other yearly challenges/favorite? I loved TBR twins, which Indid with Smitri!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did: I set a goal of 75 books and I read 75.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
All the Light We Cannot See, milk and honey, A Brief History of Seven Killings, The Complete Persepolis, How to Be Both.
3. What were your least favorites?
Ready Player One, The Rosie Project, Disgrace.
4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Viper Wine, because it had such an unusual aspect to it, which I very much had to get used to in the beginning, but ended up loving at the end.
5. Did you discover any new genres?
I read some graphic novels, which I really enjoyed.
6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I liked the Popsugar Challenge and the Let's Turn Pages challenge.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
No

2. What were your favorite books this year?


3. What were your least favorites?

Zintuigen zonder grenzen

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

Zintuigen zonder grenzen

5. Did you discover any new genres?
Mythology, which I really enjoyed.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I set a goal of 30 books, and was able to read 45.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
My favorite books were Jane Eyre, The Pelican Brief, and Me Before You.

3. What were your least favorites?
My least favorites were The Girl on the Train, Season of the Machete, Fatherland, and The Kill Order

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Jane Eyre was way out of my comfort zone, but I loved it.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I found that I really enjoy historical fiction.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I liked the A-Z Character Edition Challenge.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did, thanks to several YA novels I fit in during the last week :)

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Top 5: The Space Between Us, Station Eleven, Fahrenheit 451, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Riding Freedom

3. What were your least favorites?
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, A Wrinkle in Time, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Did You Ever Have a Family, Open House

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
War and Peace and Les Misérables for their critiques on society; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2- my first play that I read

5. Did you discover any new genres?
No

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I didn't quite finish them, but I really enjoyed the Popsugar Reading Challenge and the Let's Turn Pages Challenge.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Well, nop. I read 59 of 70 books T.T
2. What were your favorite books this year?
My top 5 books this year are: Lady MidnightThe Name of the WindThe Two TowersHarry Potter and the Goblet of FireThe Summer Garden
3. What were your least favorites?
Wish ListDanmachi. Light novel: 1
4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Under the Skin because it was something I had never read before.
5. Did you discover any new genres?
Yes, historical fiction.
6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I didn't participate.

t's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
YES!! I read 15 more than my goal. The most I have ever read in one year....90 books!

2. What were your favorite books this year?
All the Light We Cannot See
The Summer Before the War
Lilac Girls
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Three Musketeers

3. What were your least favorites?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Sun Also Rises
The Nest
Tulip Fever
Kitchens of the Great Midwest

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks It didn't really stretch me too much out of my comfort zone, but the last half of the book became quite tedious to read.

5. Did you discover any new genres? I am not sure this is a new genre, but I did read some books dealing with mental health issues, which I don't typically read.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? A-Z Character Challenge was great fun, and I love the PopSugar Challenge!

Kara wrote: "It's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal? I didn't reach my original goal so I decreased the amount of books. I went back to school and that put a dent in my reading. I have classes again this year but hope to reach the same goal as last year

2. What were your favorite books this year? I fell in love with the Cat books by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and the Family Skeleton series by Leigh Perry

3. What were your ..." Least favorite was Horse Stories--too many to read and I wasn't familiar with the authors of the stories

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Pride and Prejudice--the language was a bit difficult.

5. New Genres? Not that I can think of

6. I didn't participate in the challenges--maybe sometime in the near future.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
YES! I had to raise my challenge from 10 to 15 books and I read 20 books by the end of the year.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Harry Potter series (I don't think I'll find something better than this in this year :D )

3. What were your least favorites?
That would be Mahabharat, not because I don't like it but it's a bit tiring and hence slow read.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Yes there were more than one books like this.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I started classic reading with Little Women which I loved, so I'll be reading more books of this genre this year.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I didn't participate last year, I'll try it this year.

Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
This was really the year I got into books, so no goal. But this year I realized that reading for fun wasn't a waste of time, if it wasn't something assigned to me in class. It soon became my only stress reliever that worked! And I could enjoy what I was reading and not have it be a sappy romance novel on the beach, it could be something mind melting or thought provoking and entertaining all at the same time.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, For One More Day by Mitch Albom, Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, 1984 by George Orwell, The Loney by Andrew Micheal Hurley

3. What were your least favorites?
Little Bee by Chris Cleave, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Me Before You, Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller, and any James Patterson Women's Murder Club Book.

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Our Endless Numbered Days, it dealt with incest but not in the historical 2nd cousin "keep it in the bloodline" kind of way. In the psychotic trapped way, I took multiple showers after realizing what was going on in the book.

Remake by Ilima Todd, I don't really like the cliché-ness of young adult dystopian books, but that was kind of a sub plot and it really dealt with the emotions of love in family and romantically. It was a beautiful book about love

5. Did you discover any new genres?
I discovered how much I loved historical fiction books, that is something I would've never touched.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

Karin wrote: "1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
No

2. What were your favorite books this year?

..."

I completely forgot to add Guards Guards to my favourites list.

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I had a 52 book challenge that I completed, and read 79 books in total, 9 more than my overall goal.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Invisible Monsters, Uprooted, The Secret Garden, Kookooland, The Girl with Ghost Eyes

3. What were your least favorites?
I Am a Cat - too slow and tedious sometimes

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
I guess Invisible Monsters could count for that. It was different. And The Cement Garden and First Love, Last Rites by Ian McEwan.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
True crime (Kookooland). I'm also more open to reading non-fiction outside of memoirs after reading The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? I only participated in a challenge created by another group that was similar style as Popsugar. It was fun, but out of the challenges I'm doing this year I'm excited for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Challenge and Color Challenge this year.

Always interesting to see other peoples' favourites and least favourites etc!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
I did - and exceeded it, because I don't like that feeling of pushing to reach a goal at the end of the year, so I set my challenge at a number I'm quite likely to meet and then everything extra is a bonus!

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Oh, so hard to choose!
My favourite books by Aussie authors were:
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Out of the Ice by Ann Turner
Let Her Go by Dawn Barker
And for the non-Aussies:
The Last Christian by David Gregory
Sons of Encouragement: Five Stories of Faithful Men Who Changed Eternity by Francine Rivers
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

3. What were your least favorites?
The Little Paris Bookshop
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Colour by Rose Tremain

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
The Colour by Rose Tremain was probably a stretch for me - such a sad and dismal story! I'm very glad I didn't live in the 1800s - and especially not in New Zealand in that time!

5. Did you discover any new genres?
No new genres, but I started a new series halfway through the year and only have 2 more books until I'm up to date - The Grantchester series by James Runcie.

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favourite?
I liked the sound of Around the World in Books, but never actually ended up starting it - too many other challenges on the go! So the only other one I did with this group was the Popsugar challenge, and it was quite good - I met my goal of 25 books (although not with the books or categories I'd originally chosen in the beginning!). I'm excited about the Colour Challenge and the My Favourite Things Challenge this year! And the Serial Reader Challenge - I might actually get up to date with some of my series this year!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?
Yes, I went over.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Feed by Mira Grant
Wait for You by J. Lynn
Electric Daisy, Vol. 1, Vol. 01 by Kyousuke Motomi

3. What were your least favorites?
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Eve: A Novel by William Paul Young
I read Sci-Fic before but not space type so it was differnt. Ender's Game was interesting and I would like to find out what happens to him later on but not enough to make me read the rest of the series. Eve, was too biblical for me. I have read religious fiction but I never got really deep into the philosophical parts.

5. Did you discover any new genres?
No

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Yes. Hm.. I liked a few but I'm not sure what was my favorite.

It's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

I hit my initial goal over the summer of 52 and then doubled it, but did not reach the second goal.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

I am just going to list all the books I gave 5 star ratings to:

The Nightingale
Winter
Schindler's Ark
The Handmaid's Tale
The Help
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Invisible Man
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt
Middlesex
Tuesdays with Morrie
The Child Thief

3. What were your least favorites?

These are the books I gave 2 stars:
A World Away
Crome Yellow

And 1 star- this was definitely the worst, in my opinion:

On the Road

4. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

Nope

5. Did you discover any new genres?

Comic books! I have never really read any and I think I read a couple and enjoyed both. Good times

6. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

I like the challenges in general. Really liked the page one, randomizer challenge and alphabet. Good stuff.

Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "It's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

I hit my initial goal over the summer of 52 and then doubled it,..."
Crome Yellow was an ok read for me too- It mad me laugh in places- quite a bit, as overall, I wasn't sure what to make of it/

Lady Clementina wrote: "Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "It's that time to reflect on 2016. We'd love to hear your answers to the below questions!

1. Did you reach your 2016 reading goal?

I hit my initial goal over the summer of..."

I liked it a little because you could sort of see the beginnings of "A Brave New World" in some of the conversations, but overall I had a really hard time staying interested. It just was not my kind of book, I guess, which was upsetting because I loved "A Brave New World" so much, lol.

I hit my reading goal of 100 books for the third year in a row, though at the beginning of December I did not think I would. Had to read 11 books in December and actually finished #11 on December 26.

Favorite was probably To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War, but I also really enjoyed The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Least favorites: Only When I Larf and 11/22/63.

A book that made me stretch: On Wings of Eagles. I don't often read nonfiction but found this book a worthy read. I had forgotten much of the events that lead to the Iranian Hostage Crisis during the late 1970s.

I've been an avid and eclectic reader for more than 50 years, so I don't think there are any new genres to discover.

Other than the goodreads yearly challenge, I had not done any others. I did not join this group until a few weeks ago. Now, I am trying to make up for lost time. (I keep adding more and more challenges).

Greg wrote: "I hit my reading goal of 100 books for the third year in a row, though at the beginning of December I did not think I would. Had to read 11 books in December and actually made finished #11 on Decem..."

I know the feeling about adding more and more challenges. I've had to resist very hard this time around to limit the number of challenges I'm participating in. LOL