A challenge of relative ease and merriment 2018 discussion

It's been a month, and maybe some of you have already read some books for the challenge, so I thought I'd set up the Progress topic!

Here you can share how the challenge is going for you. Check in every month, check in once, check in never... it's all up to you!

You can make a post that you keep editing if that's your thing, or you can post every now and then with whatever new books you've read for the challenge (that's what I personally do), or you can keep posting the full list, with your new updates each time. Whatever feels best!

And if you want, tell us what you think of the books you add.

Now good luck and keep reading!

I have not been reading as much this year/for this challenge as I'd expected to or meant to, as I found some high-quality fanfiction of my favorite (and pretty much only) 'ship recently! *^_^* However, here's what I've done so far:

A retelling of a classic: Florence & Giles (hated it, but satisfied my curiosity of what it would be like)
A book about a death: Everything I Never Told You (loved it!)

I'm currently reading The Troop, which turns out to be set by the sea! (I was going to read The Light Between Oceans for that, but want to read it even if it's off-challenge.) I'm sure I'll make more progress soon. It's Women In Horror month and Black History month, so I was hoping to combine the two and read Let's Play White; we'll see how that goes!

Overall, I have had a good reading year so far. I have enjoyed most of the books I have read, although I have come across a few very crappy books.

A non-fiction book: Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini. I really enjoyed this book. I was impressed by the accessible language used by the author, this is a book that anyone can read, you don't have to be a science nerd to get it.

An LGBTQIA+ book: Histoire de la violence by Édouard Louis is a difficult read, particularly because it is based on what actually happened to the author. However, it is a good book so I recommend it.

A biography/autobiography/memoir:The Rules Do Not Apply: A Memoir by Ariel Levy. I enjoyed it

A how-to book:Hjärnkoll på pengarna: få råd med dina drömmar by Elin Helander is a book on personal finance written by a neuroscientist. This is one of the better books in the category of personal finance, it approaches the topic from a different angle. However, it is quite repetitive at times which annoyed me.

A book featuring an important character with a disability: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is a lovely book. I read half of the book in one go, I couldn't but it down.

A book set on or by the sea:7 by Martina Moliis-Mellberg is a poetry book. I enjoyed half of the poems very much and though the rest were alright. I'd still recommend it though, because the good poems are really good.

A book about a death:The Way We Die Now by Seamus O'Mahony was a disappointment, a book I wish I had never come across. The author is full of himself.

A retelling of a *classic: Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi was completely different from what I had anticipated, but still oh so good.

A book with a predominantly yellow cover: Hurma by Ali Al-Muqri was a great disappointment. An infuriating one. There are better books by Yemeni authors.

The first book in an existing series (of at least two released books): The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is the biggest disappointment so far. I loved the idea, the story.... books...library...spies..what is not to love? As it turns out, a lot. I wish that Jo Walton or Connie Willis had written this book instead.

I've read a few books this year.

A non-fiction book was Hur man botar en fanatiker by Amos Oz. I liked it, but didn't think it was that special. It's from 2002 and already feels a bit old...

As my an LGBTQIA+ book I read Luften är fri by Sara Lövestam. It's the third book in a series and I really had trouble putting it down.

I've read Brudkronan, the first book about Kristin Lavransdatter which covers both a book set before 1940 and the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books). The second book, Husfrun, covers a book I’ve meant to read for more than year.

And last, but not least, I've listened to Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro which I enjoyed. It definitely deals with death. I recommend it!

I'm making a little bit of progress, but not as much as I had hoped so far. I've finished four and am working on two other categories.

a kids book: Preaching to the Chickens (This was a charming and lovely little book about the early life of civil rights leader, John Lewis. Two thumbs up!)

a graphic novel: Patience (interesting time travel story but the dialogue was a bit meh)

a book with mythological creatures: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (I'm listening to this as an audiobook. It's only my second Potter book, but I think I may now be hooked. The narrator, however, is annoying, so it hasn't made me a fan of audiobooks.)

a retelling of a *classic: Jane (I absolutely hated this and wrote a scathing review. Ugh, just ugh.)

a book with a predominantly yellow cover: I Am Not Okay With This (This is my third graphic novel this year. I liked the plot, but it ended a bit abruptly. Still not sure how I feel about this one.)

a book written by a person of color: The Underground Railroad (I'm more than halfway through and really enjoying this. It's definitely a tough read, but it's so well written and imaginative. Highly recommend.)

You've been reading a lot guys. It's going much slowly for me.

I am currently still reading Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, the third book in the Stormlight archives. It's 1000 pages long and very long. I haven't really got stuck on it as the first two books.

However, I paused that one for one How-to book which I think I even might reread. I came to read this book after I watched the series Mars. The book is called How we'll live on Mars by Stephan Petranek. Very interesting, full of facts and science which sound reasonable, no fiction as in The Martian. If you like space science and are passionate to go to Mars in the future, I recomend this book.

So, now I continue reading. There is no plan here on what books I want to read this year. Just read what I feel for for the moment.

a book released in 2018 - Lumberjanes, Vol. 10: Parents' Day
a non-fiction book
a kids book
a YA novel
an LGBTQIA+ book - Kim Reaper Vol. 1: Grim Beginnings
a biography/autobiography/memoir
a book set in the future
a book set (or about a time) before 1940 - Moonshine, Volume 1
a how-to book
a graphic novel - Rat God
a book with mythological creatures - I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After
a book featuring an important character with a disability
a book set on or by the sea
a book about a death
a retelling of a *classic
a book with a predominantly yellow cover - Watchmen
a book written by more than one author - Rick and Morty, Vol. 7
a book written by a person of colour
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books) - Annihilation
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year - Brave Chef Brianna

Ugh, have been really bad at reading this year. Kicked off when I cancelled my netflix account though....

I've been making quite good progress, despite also making my way through a re-read of the entire Phryne Fisher series (which doesn't count for the challenge because I've decided all books need to be new to me).

Finished 6 challenge books so far:
- A Study in Scarlet Women is a historical mystery with a female Sherlock Holmes, a premise I couldn't resist;
- Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women was a birthday present that was a real treat to read in bed - and a proper book, not just pictures, so it didn't feel like cheating *g*;
- The Power was highly recommended to me and really lived up to the hype (set in the future);
- I've been wanting to read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children since seeing the movie and quite enjoyed it (YA);
- I finally read The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, an author of colour, which I loved just as much as her other books;
- and today I finished The Sleeper and the Spindle, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty in true Gaiman-style, with beautiful illustrations - if anything, this felt a bit like cheating, being rather short.

I don't expect to keep up this pace all year, since I did a lot of reading during a week's vacation in London, but it sure feels good.

a book released in 2018 - Rich boy
a non-fiction book - Läkande Trädgårdar
a kids book - Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women
a YA novel - Om det var krig i Norden
an LGBTQIA+ book - The Argonauts
a biography/autobiography/memoir - M Train
a book set in the future - The Handmaid's Tale
a book set (or about a time) before 1940 - Den allvarsamma leken
a how-to book - Drunkna inte i dina känslor
a graphic novel - Kunskapens frukt
a book with mythological creatures - Homegoing
a book featuring an important character with a disability - Den sårade divan: Om psykets estetik
a book set on or by the sea - The Old Man and the Sea
a book about a death
a retelling of a *classic - För Lydia
a book with a predominantly yellow cover - Tusen strålande solar
a book written by more than one author - Den sista fasta kontinenten
a book written by a person of color - En dag ska jag bygga ett slott av pengar
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books) - Maps
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year - Women and Apple Trees

a book released in 2018
a non-fiction book - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
a kids book - Love (**This one is especially beautiful!)
a YA novel
an LGBTQIA+ book
a biography/autobiography/memoir - The Princess Saves Herself in this One
a book set in the future
a book set (or about a time) before 1940 - The Daring Ladies of Lowell (By the same woman who wrote "The Dressmaker", it's an equally great read!)
a how-to book - The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (What a great book! Recommended for anybody who feels like taking a step back and looking at life a little differently.)
a graphic novel - Sex Criminals, Vol. 1: One Weird Trick
a book with mythological creatures
a book featuring an important character with a disability
a book set on or by the sea
a book about a death
a retelling of a *classic
a book with a predominantly yellow cover
a book written by more than one author
a book written by a person of colour
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books) - On Dublin Street
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year

I'm getting a slow start, mostly reading books I'm not counting for this challenge...
But I did finish (for biography*) Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge & I really liked it. It's one of those history bios where the author guesses a lot on what the subject was feeling, but I felt like it was appropriate given the context and I never found anything unbelievable. A quick read, but of course given the subject matter not exactly easy... But quite well-written and ultimately worthwhile. I definitely recommend it.

(*Should note that despite the title, this book's main focus is Judge and her life including her journey out of enslavement. The Washingtons are very important to that story and are also given (shorter) biographies...but Juge is who the book is mainly about, and to me it definitely read as a bio.)

Hi everyone! This is my first reading challenge and I think I’m doing OK so far. 😁 Just finished Jag heter inte Miriam by Majgull Axelsson, which is a book with a predominantly yellow cover. It was very enthralling, sad, and a very important story to tell. Before this I read De kommer att drunkna i sina mödrars tårar by Johannes Anyuru, a book (partly) set in the future. For me this story was a bit difficult to follow, and it was hard to find the flow in reading it, but still very gripping and an urgent story to tell. Stanna hos mig by Ayobami Adebayo is a book by a person of color, and I really liked it! An engaging and multilayered story about love and life in Nigeria. I usually read several books simultaneously and have already started on a couple of new projects. For the book set before 1940 I’ve chosen Dead souls by Nikolai Gogol, very practical since we’re reading it in one of my two book clubs. I’ve also started on Hans Roslings memoir Hur jag lärde mig förstå världen, and the how to-book will be Blygerhundar - så gör du din hund till en superhjälte! by Jessica Mann. This challenge is very entertaining and inspiring!

Greetings everyone.

Happy to start this year's challenge. It might take me a while to get through all the categories, I have a few series that i am working to complete :)

So far...

I read The Golem and the Jinni for the book including mythical creatures. Have to admit that I was intrigued by the name and the concept of the book. But it was a VERY hard read. Much more detail than I felt was really necessary.

I also finished The Girl on the Train for a book about a death. I thought it was pretty good. Every time I thought I knew whodunit there came a new twist. Very well done.

I am currently reading The Assassin's Blade which is a compilation of novellas for the Throne of Glass series that I intend to complete this year.

I got a Kindle for Christmas and it is loaded with so many books that I know it will be a fun year !!

Update 3/16/18 completed 4/20:
By the way The Assassin's Blade I am counting towards my YA book. I dont think a prequel should be counted as the first in a series (just MHO). But I am counting Throne of Glass as my first book of an existing series.

I just finished The Girl Who Drank the Moon for my Kids book and it was MARVELOUS. :)

Adding two more to my read list (for a total of three):

For "a graphic novel" I read Wonder Woman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1. It was the largest of the GNs I got for the holidays last year, and I was in the mood to read it anyway. Absolutely wonderful book; great writing and art; I def recommend it (this release especially, with both timelines intertwined.) So much to love with none of the usual things that annoy me esp in DC stuff... I'm really looking forward to reading the next volume as well.

And for "a book written by more than one author" I did The Book of Swords. It was quite good--all the stories by authors I knew were excellent, but I actually ended up most enjoying a story by someone I'd never read before (the first story included) and found a new author whose other work I want to try. Most of the rest of the stories were enjoyable or at least readable, tho with every anthology there's always a few I just can't get thru. I quit one and skimmed a couple... But overall I rly enjoyed it and will definitely be getting its companion that's supposed to come out at some point soon.

Can't believe it's 2.5 months into the year and this is my first update! Oops!

a book released in 2018 - An American Marriage 4 stars. It was good but not as good as I was hoping.
a non-fiction book - One Summer: America, 1927 4 stars. Started slow but I ended up really enjoying it!
a kids book -
a YA novel - A Wind in the Door 5 stars! Read it with my daughter and ooooo so good.
an LGBTQIA+ book
a biography/autobiography/memoir - Truth and Beauty 4 stars. I definitely prefer Ann Patchet's nonfiction to her fiction!
a book set in the future
a book set (or about a time) before 1940
a how-to book
a graphic novel
a book with mythological creatures - Neverwhere 5 stars. I <3 Neil Gaiman!
a book featuring an important character with a disability El Deafo 5 stars. My daughter and I both loved it. Everyone from 4-94 should read this book.
a book set on or by the sea - Salt to the Sea
a book about a death
a retelling of a *classic
a book with a predominantly yellow cover - Half of a Yellow Sun
a book written by more than one author
a book written by a person of colour - The Thing Around Your Neck 5 stars. I love her short stories!
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books)
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year

For first book in an existing series I did Child of a Hidden Sea; it was quite fun and I loved how very nerdy the main character was, and the worldbuilding etc.. It wasn't, like, the most amazing book ever or anything but it was very enjoyable and I will def read the next on in the trilogy. (Would also have worked for a book set mostly on or around the ocean.)

& for a book featuring an important character with a disability I read Guardians of the Whills which I also rly liked. Can't go wrong with Ruka writing SW imo, and I already liked the characters...

Wow it has been a while since I have read a book that qualifies for the challenge. But finally am able to add another.. which makes a total of 6.

This one is for the story written by a person of color. I read Sing Unburied Sing Sing, Unburied, Sing. It was very good as a true literature book. I was looking for more entertainment so I didnt feel as strongly about it as others that have read it. I think I rated it 3 stars.

Update as of 6/25 -
Completed The Death of Mrs. Westaway for the book published in 2018. It was a very good book which I gave 4 stars.

I have been doing more reading for entertainment than for the challenge, but I have a few books lined up now that should get me going.

7/7/18
Finished srsly Hamlet as my Retelling of a Classic. and it was hilarious.
Also finished up Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI as my Non-fiction. So at this point feeling pretty comfortable in the rest of the list.

I think that this makes me at 9/20

For a kids book I read Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Bomber Command
Amazon says this is for ages 6-8, but I feel like 8 and up might be more reasonable. There is mention of ground-penetrating bombs burning people alive(!), and overall it is a sad war story... But it is still definitely for younger readers, so I'm gonna use it here. Tho I do think it's perfectly readable for adults (as good kids books should be imo.) I rly liked it a lot--I've always enjoyed the little fictional journals from the POV of SW characters (I also have the ones for Sabine and Rey) and the story and art here are very nicely done. Fry is a fine SW writer for sure. --And this book also neat b/c unlike with Sabine and Rey, Paige only has one scene in the main on screen canon, so it's extra special to have a story from her POV.

For a non-fiction book: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Expectedly awesome, considering the author. Never more relevant, very readable and engrossing. The subject matter did make it pretty depressing, though... Still, absolutely highly recommended.

& for a YA novel: Dread Nation
Very timely and thoughtfully written. The story was interesting and I quite liked the characters--esp Jane. The cover is really nice, too (it's what initially attracted me to it.) YA and zombies still aren't my thing, but I'm glad I read this one and will probably check out more in the series. IMO when a few more books are out, this should absolutely become a tv show or movie series.
If I had any criticisms beyond "just not entirely my thing" it would be that sometimes the dialog felt a bit too modern and that it was so very much a "first book in the series"... I wanted the story to just go on already because the ending very much felt like the real, most important story was yet to come. But as setups go, it was memorable and worthwhile.

So it looks like I'm at 8/20... I've got some ideas to what to do for a few more categories, so I'm feeling fairly optimistic I'll come closer to finishing this year.

Here is where I am so far! I was in a bit of a slump earlier in the year, but things finally seem to be picking up, so I'm happy to be making some headway.

a book released in 2018: The Hunger
a non-fiction book: I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
a kids book: The Doll in the Garden
a YA novel: My Best Friend's Exorcism
a book set (or about a time) before 1940: The Light Between Oceans
a book with mythological creatures: NOS4A2
a book featuring an important character with a disability: Anything But Typical
a book set on or by the sea: The Troop
a book about a death: Everything I Never Told You
a retelling of a *classic: Florence & Giles
a book with a predominantly yellow cover: Me & Emma
a book written by more than one author
a book written by a person of colour: Mapping the Interior
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books): Every Heart a Doorway
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year: Tampa

One more is in progress, and I have a few others picked out. . . I won't scramble too much to complete unless some are unfinished in the last quarter of the year. I had a lot of pretty average reads both on and off the challenge this year, but I can hardly fault the challenge for that!

For a book released in 2018 I read Circe; it was amazing a but a bit of tough going there for a while (content wise.)

And for a book set on or by the sea I did Into the Storm: Two Ships, a Deadly Hurricane, and an Epic Battle for Survival. It was very good and of course quite sad, and I'm really glad I read it.

Both are recommended.

So I'm about halfway done and I hope to read another I can use for this challenge soon...

I feel like I'm inching along with this challenge, but hey I got two more:

For a retelling of a classic I read Spinning Silver; I had high expectations for this and they were very much met and exceeded. I loved that it was a standalone; you could really feel the absence of filler and wasted space. The characters and story were just wonderful... And I never had trouble following it even though there were like six or seven first person POVs (there was always some identifying feature in the first sentence or two in a chapter to tell you who was speaking.) There were a few tiny nitpicks I could make, but they were very small so I didn't hesitate to give this five stars.

And for a book written by a person of colour I read Trail of Lightning. As much as I do want to try Fifth Season, I really didn't want to choose the book that it seems like a lot of people in this group are going with... And I was planning to try this one anyway, so it worked out.
This book was hyped a fair bit and I feel like it lived up fairly well. I really liked the main character, and the setting--though I'm not much for urban fantasy and I'm a bit tired of post-apocalyptic--was very interesting and I felt assured prior to reading that it was well researched and considered.
It was a super quick read, and I wouldn't say I found it really stellar (tho the ending was fantastic) and there was a tiny mistake that bugged me because I'm me, and IDK if it was intentional or not, but anyway--I'm glad I got it and I will definitely read the next book in the series. (It also felt very cinematic to me, and I hope when a couple more books are out it'll become a tv series or film franchise.)

Here is my progress so far (20/20):

- a book released in 2018: Flotsam by R. J. Theodore (written by a friend of mine for whom I had done some betareading)
- a non-fiction book: The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer
- a kids book: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
- a YA novel: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
- an LGBTQIA+ book: The Skeleton Paints a Picture by Leigh Perry (there is a sub-story with a gender neutral character and the growth of their relationship with a fellow student)
- a biography/autobiography/memoir: Poirot and Me
- a book set in the future: The Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien-Jones
- a book set (or about a time) before 1940: The Heiress of Linn Hagh by Karen Charlton (early 1800s)
- a how-to book: How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
- a graphic novel: A Home for Leo by Vin Vogel
- a book with mythological creatures: Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
- a book featuring an important character with a disability: Unreachable Skies, Vol. 1 by Karen McCreedy (one of the main characters is born without wings--basically the worst kind of handicap imaginable for their kind)
- a book set on or by the sea: The Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan
- a book about a death: Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan (girl struggles with after-effects of epidemic, including her parents' death)
- a retelling of a classic: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman (retelling of Sleeping Beauty)
- a book with a predominantly yellow cover: Ozoni and Onsens: A Daydreamer Detective Novella by S. J. Pajonas
- a book written by more than one author: Destination: Murder: A Travelogue of Cozy Mysteries by Abby L. Vandiver, Kathryn Dionne, Wendy Meadows, Carolyn L. Dean, Angela C. Blackmoore, Sonia Parin, Sherri Bryan, S. J. Pajonas
- a book written by a person of colour: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
- the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books): Slouch Witch by Helen Harper
- a book you’ve meant to read for more than year: Song of the Summer King by Jess E. Owen

You're all doing so well! Nicely done.

I'm having such a bad reading year. But I'm getting somewhere on the challenge. Might not be able to finish but we'll see.

a book released in 2018: I've Got This Round by Mamrie Heart
a non-fiction book: Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt
a kids book: The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett
an LGBTQIA+ book: All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by a bunch of people
a biography/autobiography/memoir: Binge by Tyler Oakley
a book with mythological creatures: The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune
a book about a death: From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty
a book with a predominantly yellow cover: The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster by Sara Krasnostein
a book written by more than one author: From a Certain Point of View by 40 different authors
a book written by a person of colour: Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books): Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1) by Becky Albertally

I'm working on important character with disability (well less character more just the actual real life narrator of a biography of sorts), and have retelling of a classic waiting. And a book set being 1940 that i've been waiting for is released this week. So if I can get properly back into reading I should be doing okay.

I'm thinking of you, Pocki!! My reading year has been trash, too, and kind of the year in general. Here's where I am. . .

a book released in 2018: The Hunger
a non-fiction book: I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
a kids book: The Doll in the Garden
a YA novel: My Best Friend's Exorcism
a book set in the future: Station Eleven (I loved this one!!)
a book set (or about a time) before 1940: The Light Between Oceans
a graphic novel: Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
a book with mythological creatures: NOS4A2
a book featuring an important character with a disability: Anything But Typical
a book set on or by the sea: The Troop
a book about a death: Everything I Never Told You (really enjoyed this also!)
a retelling of a *classic: Florence & Giles
a book with a predominantly yellow cover: Slade House
a book written by a person of colour: Mapping the Interior
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books): Every Heart a Doorway
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year: Tampa

Still working on:
an LGBTQIA+ book: I think I've read some books that could loosely count, but I just want to be very strict with this one, and preferably read something I've been meaning to get to, like The Danish Girl or Call Me By Your Name. I'm doing a readathon this week and next week that may help sew up this challenge, though I'm not sure I'll allow it to myself if it's not one of those titles I've been planning to read. 😒
a biography/autobiography/memoir: I think one reason I've been struggling with this is that I didn't expect to struggle. I'm usually in the mood to read several of these in a given year! I have lots of ideas, but am just feeling uninspired to commit to any of them. After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story is one that I'm currently curious about and may finally go through with.
a how-to book: I have already read a friend's memoir-writing how-to book, but it technically isn't completely edited or published. I will probably let myself count it even if it's not technically published before the end of the year, but that's the holdup.
a book written by more than one author: I have been working on a freaking horror anthology all freaking year and have TWO STORIES left, and once I finish that, I can cross this one off!!! It's a great anthology, but sometimes, I have a hard time with short fiction collections, because I'm not necessarily propelled on to the next story once I finish one.

I realized just now that I'm missing just one more book from the list - so this morning I started "Szenenwechsel", a Christian self-help book on how to change the "script" of one's life, which I got for my birthday (in January *cough*) from my mother. It's also the only German book I've read all year, I think.

In other reading news, during my vacation a couple of weeks ago I managed to read about a book a day - that used to be almost my normal state of being, these days it gives me a small thrill whenever I manage this feat. :)

Btw, if anyone likes snarky sci-fi and is still looking for a fun book published in 2018 or set in the future, I heartily recommend The Murderbot Diaries - they're 4 novellas by Martha Wells, 2-4 of which having been published this year. I laughed so hard reading these, my one complaint is that they're so short!

When I joined, I thought that I had already read something for almost every category. Challenged myself to fulfill the challenge twice - and was pretty successful for most categories. Filling out the rest was a really pleasant refresh for my reading this year. I've finally ventured into exploring the downloadable graphic novels from my local library on my tablet - so that's a whole new category of books to add to my regaulr reading consumption.

-a book released in 2018
*Brief Cases-Jim Butcher
*Into the Thinnest of Air-Simon R. Green

-a non-fiction book
*15-Minute Meals: 44 Quick & Healthy Recipes That Are EASY to Cook!-Olivia Rogers
*The New One Minute Manager-Kenneth H. Blanchard

-a kids book
*The Hidden Oracle-Rick Riordan
*Castle Hangnail-Ursula Vernon

-a YA novel
*Tempests and Slaughter-Tamora Pierce
*Tortall: A Spy's Guide-Tamora Pierce

-an LGBTQIA+ book
*Beneath the Sugar Sky-Seanan McGuire
*Starmind-Spider Robinson

-a biography/autobiography/memoir
*In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom-Qanta A. Ahmed
*Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens-Eddie Izzard

-a book set in the future
*Mindsight-Dean Kenyon
*Artemis-Andy Weir

-a book set (or about a time) before 1940
*The A.B.C. Murders-Agatha Christie
*The Strange Marriage of Anne de Bourgh

-a how-to book
*The Drowning Spool-Monica Ferris (punch needle embroidery!)
*How To Marry A Werewolf-Gail Carriger

-a graphic novel
*Constantine: The Hellblazer, Volume 1: Going Down-Ming Doyle
*The Sandman, Vol. 01: Preludes & Nocturnes-Neil Gaiman

-a book with mythological creatures
*A Natural History of Dragons-Marie Brennan
*Dark Queen-Faith Hunter

-a book featuring an important character with a disability
*The Black Company-Glen Cook
*Blood Price-Tanya Huff

-a book set on or by the sea
*Into the Drowning Deep-Mira Grant
*Aunt Bessie Believes-Diana Xarissa

-a book about a death
*Death at the Netherfield Park Ball-Amelia Littlewood
*The Girl in the Green Silk Gown-Seanan McGuire

-a retelling of a classic
*Longbourn-Jo Baker
*Job: A Comedy of Justice-Robert A. Heinlein

-a book with a predominantly yellow cover
*Manners & Mutiny-Gail Carriger
*Callahan's Key-Spider Robinson

-a book written by more than one author
*Saints-Larry Correia & John Ringo
*Ghost College-Scott Nicholson & J.R. Rain

-a book written by a person of colour
*Akata Warrior-Nnedi Okorafor
*Aunty Lee's Delights-Ovidia Yu

-the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books)
*The Ghost and the Graveyard-Genevieve Jack
*Slouch Witch-Helen Harper

-a book you’ve meant to read for more than year
*Morgue Drawer Four-Jutta Profijt
*Zoned for Murder-Evelyn David

I'm sooo not going to finish this challenge again this year. I still have five books left to read and don't have any idea what to do for "how to" and no good ideas for "future" or "meant to read..." and where I do have books planned they're not anything I'm in the mood for rn and they're quite long as well. IDK, maybe I'll find something else...
But I did get three others done!

a book with mythological creatures: Golden Age and Other Stories
This is basically as little hardcover fanfic collection that happens to be written by the author. Most isn't canon-compliant. There's fanart as well (from fans)--though the images aren't rendered very well, and could have been edited down more. However, I quite enjoyed it...most of all for the longer stories like "Golden Age" and "Dragons and Decorum".)

an LGBTQIA+ book: The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy
I think I liked this one even more than the previous in the series. I felt like the magical element was better integrated into the world, and the plot was a bit more interesting. It def qualifies, with a ace/homoromantic lead and like three or four other featured queer characters. Biggest issue was the very modern language, which felt a bit out of place and a bit overused. But it was fun anyway and I really appreciated the historical notes at the end.

a book set (or about a time) before 1940: The Bear and the Nightingale
It's magical realism, or fairytale or w/e the genre's called these days, but it's def set in Russia and def before 1940. So so sorry I waited so long to try these oft-recced book! I loved it completely, couldn't hardly put it down, and I am super excited to read the rest of the trilogy.

Well.. I looked up and it was October and I realized taht I was only just half-way through the challenge. While I have been reading a lot, it just didnt fill the blanks. So I sat down and mapped out everything needed. And I was very surprised to be farther along than I thought. :-)

a book released in 2018 - The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
a non-fiction book - Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
a kids book - The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
a YA novel - The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas
an LGBTQIA+ book
a biography/autobiography/memoir - Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster by Stephen L. Carter
a book set in the future
a book set (or about a time) before 1940 The Book of Harlan by Bernice McFadden
a how-to book My Life on a Plate: Recipes From Around the World by Kelis
a graphic novel - Lady Mechanika, Vol.1: The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse by Joe Benitez
a book with mythological creatures - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
a book featuring an important character with a disability - The Skin Collector by Jeffrey Deaver
a book set on or by the sea - The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
a book about a death - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
a retelling of a *classic - srsly Hamlet by Courtney Carbone
a book with a predominantly yellow cover - The Last Queen of England by Steve Robinson
a book written by more than one author - Ghost Medicine by Aimee & David Thurlo
a book written by a person of colour - Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books) - Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year - Astrophysics for People in a Hurry By Neil Degrasse Tyson

Am currently reading Skin Collector so technically only 13/20. A book of Harlan is up next for my pre-1940's book, and the Runebinder for the LGBTQIA book. So should still have time to finish it all or be very very close.

As of 11/26 - I updated a few and used a cookbook for the DIY which I personally felt was a slight cheat, but since I kinda read those all the time its not too much of a cheat. :)
Have only 4 left to read but have selected them so just a matter of sitting down during these holiday times and getting through them.

12/15 - Only 2 left. Am half way through Runebinder for my LGBTQIA book and then on to Artemis for my future book.
This has been a great year of books for me. I discovered a couple new authors and read a nice assortment of books. Loads of fun!

I'm proud to declare that I finished the challenge - and only 6 weeks before the year ends! :)

Good job, Evamaria!! :D I, too, have finished--phew!

I'm done :D

a book released in 2018 - Rich boy
a non-fiction book - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
a kids book - Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women
a YA novel - Om det var krig i Norden
an LGBTQIA+ book - The Argonauts
a biography/autobiography/memoir - M Train
a book set in the future - Aniara: An Epic Science Fiction Poem
a book set (or about a time) before 1940 - Den allvarsamma leken
a how-to book - Drunkna inte i dina känslor
a graphic novel - Kunskapens frukt
a book with mythological creatures - Gösta Berling's Saga
a book featuring an important character with a disability - Den sårade divan: Om psykets estetik
a book set on or by the sea - The Old Man and the Sea
a book about a death - The Plague
a retelling of a *classic - För Lydia
a book with a predominantly yellow cover - Tusen strålande solar
a book written by more than one author - Den sista fasta kontinenten
a book written by a person of color - En dag ska jag bygga ett slott av pengar
the first book in an existing series (of at least two released books) - Maps
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year - Women and Apple Trees

My three favorite reads from the challenge are:
- Maps
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
- Rich boy

I have been really bad at updating this year. Here is my second and final update:

a book released in 2018: Blå by Maja Lunde
a kids book: Nordiska väsen by Johan Egerkrans
a YA novel: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab
a book set in the future: The Power by Naomi Alderman
a book set (or about a time) before 1940: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
a graphic novel: I slutet av regnbågen by Bitte Andersson
a book with mythological creatures: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
a book written by more than one author: Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation ed by Ken Liu
a book written by a person of colour:Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch
a book you’ve meant to read for more than year: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna