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Personal Challenges - 2019
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Brenda's 2019 Reading Corner
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January- Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction
Rules of Civility
February - Romance, Women's Literature, Western (to add variety)
The Princess Bride
Hunted
March - Mystery, Suspense
The Woman in White
The Woman in the Window
April - Fantasy
A Dance with Dragons
Sacrifice
The Name of the Wind
Wizard's First Rule
May - Comedy, Tragedy
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain
June - Travel, Survival, Adventure
Sacajawea
Redemption
The Wise Man's Fear
July - YA/Middle Grades
The Phantom Tollbooth
August - Science Fiction, Dystopia
Raven Song
Slaughterhouse-Five
September - Historical Fiction
The Color Purple
Where the Crawdads Sing
Little House in the Big Woods
October - Horror, Thriller, Supernatural Fiction
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
The Haunting of Hill House
Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
November - Classics
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Moonstone
December - Children's Lit, Animal Stories
Watership Down

For this challenge, choose those books you most want to read, by favorite authors, or maybe books in a favorite series. Seize the Day!
Level 1 - Have a Treat (3 Books)
3 books that were easy, fun reads:
1. Only You - finished 8/10
2. Until You - finished 8/20
3. Always You - finished 9/1
Level 2 - Savor the Moment (6 Books)
Most recent release by some favorite authors:
4. The Wanted - finished 8/9
5. Written in My Own Heart's Blood - finished 11/21
6. The Night Fire - finished 12/27
Level 3 - Seize the Day (10 Books)
My guilty pleasure - true crime:
7. True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray - finished 1/12
8. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - finished 10/4
9. Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation - finished 10/21
10. Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century - 10/24

Books from 400-599 pages count for this challenge.
Level One Chunkster
1. Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets - 480 pages
2. Shatter Me - 464 pages
3. The Woman in the Window - 464 pages
Level Two Flower Presser
4. The Moonstone - 544 pages
5. The Book Thief - 470 pages
6. Watership Down - 496 pages
Level Three Back Breaker
7.
8.
9.
10.
...and then see a chiropractor!

Go big in 2019! Tackle at least one of those beasts awaiting you. Books from 600-1000 pages count for this challenge.
Level 1 - A Mighty Tome
1. The Woman in White - 720 pages
Level 2 - Stack 'em High
2. Wizard's First Rule - 723 pages
3. The Name of the Wind - 736 pages
Level 3 - Weight Matters
4.
5.
6.
Level 4 - A Hefty Pile
7.
8.
9.
10.

Take an epic journey and get lost in the pages of a weighty tome. This challenge is for the intrepid souls who are ready to dive into books that run over 1000 pages long.
State your own goal: 3 books
1. The Wise Man's Fear - 1008 pages
2. A Dance with Dragons - 1112 pages
3. Sacajawea - 1359 pages
Bonus book: Written in My Own Heart's Blood - 1225 pages

This is the perfect challenge to balance out all those chuncksters, doorstoppers and shelf benders you took on!
Only books 280 or less pages count for this.
Level 1 Ruffled Feathers
1. Bright Young Things - 258 pages
2. The Princess Bride - 242 pages
3. Chosen - 249 pages
4. Hunted - 262 pages
5. Sacrifice - 272 pages
Level 2 Flapping Wings
6. Nail's Crossing - 224 pages
7. The Phantom Tollbooth - 255 pages
8. The Wanted - 275 pages
9. Slaughterhouse-Five - 198 pages
10. Hushabye - 170 pages
Level 3 Taking Flight
11. Only You - 279 pages
12. Requiem - 150 pages
13. Until You - 274 pages
14. Imago - 144 pages
15. Always You - 268 pages

This can include any kind of fiction that has magic or paranormal elements, or that is set in a fictional location (excluding Sci Fi settings such as the future or space - unless there is a significant magic or paranormal focus).
Level 1 - Linger with Elves (2 Books)
1. Chosen - 1/7
2. Hunted - 2/9
Level 2 - Fly with Dragons (4 Books)
3. The Princess Bride - 2/17
4. The Woman in White - 3/9
Level 3 - Eat the Food in Faerie (7 Books)
5. Shatter Me - 3/27
6. A Dance with Dragons - 4/13
7. Sacrifice - 4/17
Level 4 - Go on a Quest to Save the World (10 Books)
8. The Name of the Wind - 5/18
9. Wizard's First Rule - 5/26
10. Redemption - 6/30
Level 5 - Explore Another World (15 Books)
11. The Wise Man's Fear - 7/19
12. The Phantom Tollbooth - 7/30
13. Raven Song 9/2
14. Here - 9/28
15. The Hexed - 9/30

This challenge is going to help me with my goal to reduce my TBR pile.
Books bought before January 1, 2019.
Level One (5 TBR books) = List Tickler
1. Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets - 1/6
2. Chosen - 1/7
3. True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray - 1/12
4. Bright Young Things - 1/27
5. Rules of Civility - 2/3
Level Two (10 TBR books) = List Tamer
6. The Princess Bride - 2/17
7. The Woman in White - 3/9
8. The Woman in the Window - 4/5
9. The Name of the Wind - 5/18
10. Wizard's First Rule - 5/26
Level Three (15 TBR books) = Captain of the Shelf
11. You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain - 5/31
12. Hushabye - 7/25
13. Requiem - 8/17
14. Imago - 8/30
15. The Color Purple - 9/10
Level Four (20 TBR books) = Master of All Dust Bunnies
16. Sacajawea -9/20
17. The Séance - 9/21
18. Little House in the Big Woods - 9/28
19. The Hexed - 9/30
20. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - 10/4
Dance of Book Joy ensues!

Clear away the cobwebs from the back of your shelves and find the books that have been waiting the longest for you to read. No more delays!
I have about 200 books that I've been meaning to read since before I joined goodreads in 2015. I'll use this challenge to see if I can make some progress.
Level 1 (2 Books) - Swipe the duster
1. Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets - 1/6
2. Bright Young Things - 1/27
Level 2 (4 Books) - Dust bunnies beware
3. Rules of Civility - 2/3
4. The Princess Bride - 2/17
Level 3 (7 Books) - Cobwebs begone
5. The Woman in White - 3/9
6. Wizard's First Rule - 5/26
7. Slaughterhouse-Five - 8/10
Level 4 (10 Books) - Polish and shine
8. The Color Purple - 9/10
9. Sacajawea - 9/20
10. The Séance - 9/21

For this challenge, choose a single author and focus on tasting as many of their works as you can.
I'm doing Denise Grover Swank. Her books are a fun read when I need something light.
Level 1 - Just a Sample
1. Chosen; The Chosen Series Complete Box Set #1
2. Hunted; The Chosen Series Complete Box Set #2
Level 2 - Appetizers
3. Sacrifice; The Chosen Series Complete Box Set #3
4. Redemption; The Chosen Series Complete Box Set #4
Level 3 - Main Course
5. Only You; Bachelor Brotherhood #1
6. Until You; Bachelor Brotherhood #2
7. Always You; Bachelor Brotherhood #3
Level 4 - Dessert
8. Here; On the Otherside #1
9. There; On the Otherside #2
10. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes; Rose Gardner Mystery Box Set #1

January - 5





February - 3



March - 2


April - 4




May - 3



June - 2


July - 4




August - 6






September - 10










October - 7







November - 8








December - 10










YEAR TO DATE: 64

Explore the Mystery genre. Put together clues and chase down villains, because the game is now afoot!
Level 1 - Break the Code (2 Books)
1. Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets - 1/6
2. True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray - 1/12
Level 2 - Shadow the Suspect (4 Books)
3. Shining City - 1/26
4. The Woman in White - 3/9
Level 3 - Crack the Case (7 Books)
5. The Woman in the Window - 4/5
6. The Liar's Girl - 4/25
7. Sweet Little Lies - 6/23
Level 4 - Chase the Villain (10 Books)
8. Hushabye - 7/25
9. Nail's Crossing - 7/27
10. The Wanted - 8/9

Challenge yourself to read some authors that are new to you. Maybe there's an author or two you've been meaning to try for a long time. Don't let them linger on your TBR any longer!
Level One: Test the Waters (1 New Author)
1. Sam Cabot - Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets - 1/6
Level Two: Wade in the Shallow End (3 New Authors)
2. James Renner - True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray - 1/12
3. Tom Rosenstiel - Shining City - 1/26
Level Three: Take a Swim (6 New Authors)
4. Anna Godbersen - Bright Young Things - 1/27
5. Amor Towles - Rules of Civility - 2/3
6. William Goldman - The Princess Bride - 2/17
Level Four: Dive Right In (10 New Authors)
7. Wilkie Collins - The Woman in White - 3/9
8. Tahereh Mafi - Shatter Me - 3/27
9. A. J. Finn - The Woman in the Window - 4/5
10. Catherine Ryan Howard - The Liar's Girl - 4/25

Challenge yourself to read some authors that are new to you. Maybe there's an author or two you've been meaning to try for a long time. Don't let them linger on your TBR any longer!
Level One: Test the Waters (1 New Author)
1. Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind - 5/18
Level Two: Wade in the Shallow End (3 New Authors)
2. Terry Goodkind - Wizard's First Rule - 5/26
3. Phoebe Robinson - You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain - 5/31
Level Three: Take a Swim (6 New Authors)
4. Caz Frear - Sweet Little Lies - 6/23
5. Celina Grace - Hushabye - 7/25
6. Kris Lackey - Nail's Crossing - 7/27
Level Four: Dive Right In (10 New Authors)
7. Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth - 7/30
8. Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse-Five - 8/10
9. I.A. Ashcroft - Raven Song - 9/2
10. Alice Walker - The Color Purple - 9/10

Explore the Mystery genre. Put together clues and chase down villains, because the game is now afoot!
Level 1 - Break the Code (2 Books)
1. Requiem - 8/17
2. Imago - 8/30
Level 2 - Shadow the Suspect (4 Books)
3. The Séance - 9/21
4. Silent Run - 9/22
Level 3 - Crack the Case (7 Books)
5. Where the Crawdads Sing - 9/26
6. The Hexed - 9/30
7. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - 10/4
Level 4 - Chase the Villain (10 Books)
8. Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation - 10/21
9. Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century - 10/24
10. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer - 10/28

Challenge yourself to read some authors that are new to you. Maybe there's an author or two you've been meaning to try for a long time. Don't let them linger on your TBR any longer!
Level One: Test the Waters (1 New Author)
1. Anna Lee Waldo - Sacajawea - 9/21
Level Two: Wade in the Shallow End (3 New Authors)
2. Delia Owens - Where the Crawdads Sing - 9/26
3. Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House in the Big Woods - 9/28
Level Three: Take a Swim (6 New Authors)
4. David Grann - Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - 10/4
5. Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House - 10/16
6. Paul Holes - Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation - 10/21
Level Four: Dive Right In (10 New Authors)
7. Peter Graham - Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century - 10/24
8. Michelle McNamara - I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer - 10/28
9. Joan Wolf - Black Diamond - 11/2
10. Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray - 11/4

This is the perfect challenge to balance out all those chuncksters, doorstoppers and shelf benders you took on!
Only books 280 or less pages count for this.
Level 1 Ruffled Feathers
1. The Séance - 225 pages
2. Little House in the Big Woods - 238 pages
3. Here - 267 pages
4. There - 270 pages
5. The Haunting of Hill House - 240 pages
Level 2 Flapping Wings
6. Evil Has A Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation
7. The Picture of Dorian Gray - 224 pages
8. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes - 272
9 The Darlington Letters - 165 pages
10. Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons - 269 pages
Level 3 Taking Flight
11. Feeding the Dragon - 72 pages
12. Evernight - 236 pages
13. My Lost Family: An Audible Original - 140 pages
14. Thirty and a Half Excuses - 258 pages
15. The Sisters - 210 pages

This can include any kind of fiction that has magic or paranormal elements, or that is set in a fictional location (excluding Sci Fi settings such as the future or space - unless there is a significant magic or paranormal focus).
Level 1 - Linger with Elves (2 Books)
1. There - 10/12
2. Written in My Own Heart's Blood - 11/21
Level 2 - Fly with Dragons (4 Books)
3. Watership Down - 12/20
4. Evernight - 12/22
Level 3 - Eat the Food in Faerie (7 Books)
5.
6.
7.
Level 4 - Go on a Quest to Save the World (10 Books)
8.
9.
10.
Level 5 - Explore Another World (15 Books)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Clear away the cobwebs from the back of your shelves and find the books that have been waiting the longest for you to read. No more delays!
I have about 200 books that I've been meaning to read since before I joined goodreads in 2015. I'll use this challenge to see if I can make some progress.
Level 1 (2 Books) - Swipe the duster
1. Little House in the Big Woods - 9/28
2. Little House on the Prairie - 10/13
Level 2 (4 Books) - Dust bunnies beware
3. The Haunting of Hill House - 10/16
4. Black Diamond - 11/2
Level 3 (7 Books) - Cobwebs begone
5. The Talented Mr. Ripley - 12/6
6. The Book Thief - 12/12
7.
Level 4 (10 Books) - Polish and shine
8.
9.
10.

This challenge is going to help me with my goal to reduce my TBR pile.
Books bought before January 1, 2019.
Level One (5 TBR books) = List Tickler
1. Little House on the Prairie - 10/13
2. Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century - 10/24
3. Black Diamond - 11/2
4. The Picture of Dorian Gray - 11/4
5. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes - 11/4
Level Two (10 TBR books) = List Tamer
6. The Talented Mr. Ripley - 12/6
7. The Book Thief - 12/12
8. Watership Down - 12/20
9. Feeding the Dragon - 12/21
10. Evernight - 12/22
Level Three (15 TBR books) = Captain of the Shelf
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Level Four (20 TBR books) = Master of All Dust Bunnies
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Dance of Book Joy ensues!

Explore the Mystery genre. Put together clues and chase down villains, because the game is now afoot!
Level 1 - Break the Code (2 Books)
1. Black Diamond - 11/2
2. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes - 11/4
Level 2 - Shadow the Suspect (4 Books)
3. The Silent Patient - 11/11
4. Subject 375 - 11/24
Level 3 - Crack the Case (7 Books)
5. The Darlington Letters - 11/26
6. The Moonstone - 11/27
7. The Talented Mr. Ripley - 12/6
Level 4 - Chase the Villain (10 Books)
8. Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons - 12/18
9. The Night Fire - 12/27
10. Thirty and a Half Excuses - 12/29
11. The Sisters -12/29

Challenge yourself to read some authors that are new to you. Maybe there's an author or two you've been meaning to try for a long time. Don't let them linger on your TBR any longer!
Level One: Test the Waters (1 New Author)
1. Alex Michaelides - The Silent Patient - 11/11
Level Two: Wade in the Shallow End (3 New Authors)
2. Nikki Owen - Subject 375 - 11/24
3. Tracy Grant - The Darlington Letters - 11/26
Level Three: Take a Swim (6 New Authors)
4. Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr. Ripley - 12/6
5. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief - 12/12
6. Richard Adams - Watership Down - 12/20
Level Four: Dive Right In (10 New Authors)
7. Sharon Washington - Feeding the Dragon - 12/21
8. Claudia Gray - Evernight - 12/22
9. Danny Ben-Moshe - My Lost Family: An Audible Original - 12/23
10. Dervla McTiernan - The Sisters - 12/29

Cut & paste "totals" template once you hit the 50-Book mark, then keep going. There should be plenty of people who read beyond that point & will help keep up the momentum.
January - 5
February - 3
March - 2
April - 4
May - 3
June - 2
July - 4
August - 6
September - 10
October - 7
November - 4
Acheived 50 goal as of 11/11
Beyond 50 goal of 10 more books
November - 4




December - 10










Beyond 50 = 14
YEAR TO DATE: 64
Books mentioned in this topic
The Sisters (other topics)Thirty and a Half Excuses (other topics)
The Sisters (other topics)
The Sisters (other topics)
Thirty and a Half Excuses (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Dervla McTiernan (other topics)Danny Ben-Moshe (other topics)
Claudia Gray (other topics)
Sharon Washington (other topics)
Richard Adams (other topics)
More...
1. Reading Challenge: 50 books - COMPLETED
2. Reduce TBR pile - Marking this as complete as I finished reading all of the books on one set of book shelves. Feeling accomplished.
3. Read 3 books with 1000+ pages - COMPLETED