Showing posts with label 2017 Challenges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017 Challenges. Show all posts

Friday, October 06, 2017

FrightFall Readathon 2017


This will be my first go-round with the FrightFall Readathon. Autumn is the perfect time of year to be reading spooky stuff and mysterious matter. And this readathon allows you to read other genres as well, doesn't require a huge number of books (just ONE, really), and even has prizes! How could I pass this one up?

FrightFall (#FrightFall for social media) runs through the month of October, and has a dedicated blog (Seasons of Reading) where you can read all the guidelines and sign up.

I don't have a set goal for the event, but I'm hoping to read at least one horror novel this month — possibly...


or...



as well as a couple of mysteries/thrillers. This is one I'm finishing up right now...



And I'll be posting a wrap-up around Halloween to report on what I read.

So that's the plan. Now I just need to get reading.


Tuesday, September 26, 2017

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XII



It's that time again, and I almost missed it!

One of my favorite reading events started this month, and I'm hoping it's going to help me get back to the books. This year, Carl (R.I.P.'s original host) has passed the duties on to Heather and Andi at Estella's Revenge. (Check out the blog for the announcement page and sign-ups.)

The challenge/reading event continues on through October, so there's still time to get some reading done. This year I'll be going for Peril the First (read four books that fit within the challenge categories of Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, and Supernatural), Peril on the Screen, and possibly Peril of the Short Story.

I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog. I don't have a list yet, but I've got lots of "must-read" books around here that fit those categories. So now, I just need to get reading!




Monday, April 03, 2017

Update: Picture Book Reading Challenge - Part 1


I've been a little slow getting started with my reading this year. Didn't read nearly as many books as I usually do in January or February or March, and April isn't looking much better. Just haven't been able to stick with anything long enough to finish it.

But I've done much better with children's books! Guess I've found my level.

I signed up for Becky's Picture Book Reading Challenge and I've already read more than the six book minimum. So I thought I'd do a little update, mainly just so I'll remember what I read and what I thought about it. I'm going to break it up into a couple of parts, so it won't be such an overwhelming post.

I'm using Becky's check list for choosing my books, and the numbers in parentheses here are the numbers from her list.

(17.) a book about pets (cats, dogs, fish):
My Kitten, by Margaret O'Hair; illus. by Tammie Lyon (pub. 2011)


Very cute story told in simple rhymes ("Food kitten, munch kitten, yum kitten, eat. / Lick kitten, fur kitten, clean kitten, neat."), about a little girl and her mischievous kitten. Tammie Lyon's illustrations stretch across two pages and are sweet and full of energy. I think this would be a lovely book to read aloud with your toddler.

(41.) a series book:
Arthur's Nose (25th Anniversary Edition). Marc Brown (first pub. 1976)


I'm a longtime fan of the Arthur cartoon series on PBS (a guilty pleasure), although I had never read any of the books. But they've been so super successful, I was interested to see how it all began. This 25th Anniversary edition of the series' first entry gave me that chance; plus it has extra material by the author, telling about what inspired him to write that first book about the young aardvark and his friends and family. I'm still a fan, but I have to admit if I was a kid just discovering this first book, I'm not sure it would leave me wanting more.

In the story, Arthur doesn't like his nose. He doesn't like the way it looks or the fact that it gets in the way when he plays games. And his friends think it's funny. He decides to change it, and goes to the rhinologist for advice. The rhinologist has him "try on" pictures of other noses to see if one of them suits him better. Well, of course, you know Arthur doesn't end up changing his nose. And that's it. Not the most scintillating of tales. But the pictures are cute and funny, and it's definitely nice to see how Arthur and his pals have changed over the years.

(43.) a book published before 1950:
Millions of Cats, written and illus. by Wanda Gág (pub. 1928)


A Newbery Honor Book, Wanda Gág's classic tale of an old man and woman who decide to get a cat is a book I've always known about, and always wanted to read. Strange that I just read it this year for the first time. Have to say, I thought I would like it more than I did. I loved the black-and-white artwork, but somehow I expected better story-telling. Maybe it's one of those books only children really respond to.

(62.) a Caldecott winner:
Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey (1958 Winner)
Another book that's been on my must-read list since it first appeared. However, this one I loved.


McCloskey's classic tale of a summer spent on an island off the coast of Maine is told in gorgeous, atmospheric pictures and stirring, poetic text. The description of the approaching storm and its effects on the family are wonderfully evocative, and the pictures put you right there. It's a beautiful, unforgettable reading experience for children and their elders.

(63.) a Caldecott honor:
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, by Chris Van Allsburg (1980 Honor book)


Young Alan Mitz is looking after Miss Hester's dog Fritz while Miss Hester visits her cousin Eunice. Fritz is not the tamest of canines, which is why cousin Eunice asked that he be left at home. One day while Alan isn't paying enough attention, Fritz runs away and strays into the forbidden garden of dog-hating retired magician, Abdul Gasazi. Of course, Alan has to follow and try to get the bad dog back. He eventually meets Mr. Gasazi and has a rather nasty trick played on him. Does he get Fritz back? You'll have to read the story to find out.

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with all of Chris Van Allsburg's work. I recognize the mastery, but I can't really say I'm attracted to his style of drawing. This is an intriguing story and the garden is appropriately mysterious; and Abdul Gasazi has a bit of magic up his sleeve. Is the magic real? That's a good question to explore with young readers.

(86.) a poetry book:
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, by Joyce Sidman; illus. by Rick Allen (pub. 2010)


This was a Newbery Honor Book for 2011, but I must admit I bought it just because of that cover. What a powerful image! And the artwork between the covers is wonderful, too. Even the Table of Contents page is colorful and fun to look at:


The book sticks to a strict pattern of poetry on the left-hand page, and on the right, a short lesson about the outdoor world at night. I learned quite a lot from those lessons. Some of the poetry rhymes, some doesn't. Some of it is simple and some is a bit more intricate. It's all very intriguing, and should appeal to readers of all ages. But I'm thinking it might be better for younger children to read with an adult — someone to explain the more unfamiliar words, and point out things a child might miss (like the fact that in the poem about the "Dark Emperor," the text is actually shaped like a stylized owl).


Sunday, January 15, 2017

Reading Challenge Addict, That's Me!


Yes, I am a reading challenge addict. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, but it's a reality and I have to face it. I always start out saying "only one or two this year," and inevitably end up signed up for a dozen or more (16 so far this year). So, I figure I might as well join the group and declare myself. Also hoping this will help me keep myself organized in 2017. During the year, I'll be doing most of my record-keeping and progress-tracking over on my challenge blog (HERE), but I'll try to update this post too, if I can remember.

My 2017 Reading Challenges:

Reading Goal: 2 books each in 17 categories
Books Read:  


Reading Goal: 50 books


Reading Goal: 50 books


Reading Goal: 12 books


Reading Goal: 2-6 books


Reading Goal: 10 books


Reading Goal: 4 books


Reading Goal: 5 books


Reading Goal: 12 books


Reading Goal: 15-20 books


Reading Goal: No set number of books


Reading Goal: 20 books 


Reading Goal: at least 6 books


Reading Goal: 1-5 books


Reading Goal: at least 6 books


Reading Goal: 6 books

...

Friday, January 13, 2017

2017 Picture Book Reading Challenge


Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
Dates: January - December 2017


As Becky says, the goal of this challenge is "To have adults read more picture books. To celebrate the fact that picture books are for everyone!" I love picture books, both the kiddie and adult kind. I'm going to be reading them anyway, so why not join the challenge?

There are several reading options for this challenge, including a bingo card that looks intriguing. But I think I'll go with Becky's checklist of categories/subjects/varieties — I love having all these choices:

_ 1. An alphabet book
_ 2. A counting book
_ 3. Concept book: shapes or numbers or opposites or colors
_ 4. a book set on a farm or in the country
_ 5. a book set in the city or in an urban area
_ 6. a book set at the beach, in the ocean, or by a lake
_ 7. a book with human characters
_ 8. a book with animal characters
_ 9. a bedtime book
_ 10. a rhyming book
_ 11. a book celebrating art
_ 12. a book celebrating dance
_ 13. a book celebrating music
_ 14. a book celebrating family (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, etc.)
_ 15. a book about feelings, expressing feelings
_ 16. a book with a twist (unexpected) ending
_ 17. a book about pets (cats, dogs, fish)
_ 18. a book celebrating libraries or reading
_ 19. a book translated into English (originally published in another language/country)
_ 20. Mother Goose related
_ 21. a book about adoption
_ 22. a book by Gail Gibbons
_ 23. a book by Jon Scieszka
_ 24. a book featured on Reading Rainbow
_ 25. free choice
_ 26. out of print
_ 27. wordless picture book
_ 28. a book by Margaret Wise Brown
_ 29. a board book
_ 30. a book about trains or planes
_ 31. a book about cars or trucks
_ 32. a book about starting school
_ 33. a book about friendship (sharing, caring, forgiving)
_ 34. a book about being ME, about being unique, special, loved, etc.
_ 35. a fairy tale
_ 36. a twisted (adapted) fairy tale
_ 37. a book about a holiday
_ 38. a new-to-you author
_ 39. a new-to-you illustrator
_ 40. a book about new experiences (dentist, doctor, sleepovers, movies, playing sports, learning to swim, etc.)
_ 41. a series book
_ 42. a book celebrating food (cooking, eating, trying new foods, eating healthy)
_ 43. a book published before 1950
_ 44. a book published in the 1950s
_ 45. a book published in the 1960s
_ 46. a book published in the 1970s
_ 47. a book published in the 1980s
_ 48. a book published in the 1990s
_ 49. a book published in the 2000s
_ 50. a book published 2010-2016
_ 51. a book published in 2017
_ 52. a book by Dr. Seuss
_ 53. a book by Mo Willems
_ 54. a book by Jan Thomas
_ 55. a book by Eric Carle
_ 56. a book by Laura Numeroff
_ 57. a book by Patricia Polacco
_ 58. a book by Jon Klassen
_ 59. a book by Beatrix Potter
_ 60. a book by Kevin Henkes
_ 61. a book written or illustrated by LeUyen Pham
_ 62. a Caldecott winner
_ 63. a Caldecott honor
_ 64. a picture book biography
_ 65. a nonfiction picture book
_ 66. a book from your childhood
_ 67. a book you discovered as an adult
_ 68. a book celebrating writing, being an author or illustrator
_ 69. a library book
_ 70. an audio book
_ 71. a book about dinosaurs OR dragons
_ 72. nonfiction book about animals (or animal)
_ 73. a challenged book OR a controversial book
_ 74. a book that makes you laugh
_ 75. a book that makes you cry
_ 76. hate the text, love the art
_ 77. love the text, hate the art
_ 78. a book with a great cover
_ 79. a book with an ugly cover
_ 80. a book about toys
_ 81. a book about weather
_ 82. a picture book for older readers
_ 83. a book of jokes, riddles, tongue-twisters
_ 84. a book about seasons
_ 85. a song
_ 86. a poetry book
_ 87. a book by a celebrity
_ 88. a book published in Australia
_ 89. a book published in the UK
_ 90. a book about science or math
_ 91. a book about history or historical event
_ 92. a book about sports
_ 93. a book about celebrating birthdays
_ 94. a book about a President or world leader
_ 95. a book about another country
_ 96. a book celebrating faith
_ 97. a pop-up book, or, a book with cut-outs or flaps or fold-outs
_ 98. a bilingual book
_ 99. a television series that has been adapted to a book
_ 100. a book that has been adapted to a television series
_ 101. an adaptation of a myth or legend
_ 102. a book about babies

Not that I'll be reading that many books, but it does give me something to shoot for. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog (HERE).


Thursday, January 05, 2017

2017 New Authors Reading Challenge


Host: Literary Escapism
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


For some reason, I didn't participate in the 2016 edition of this challenge, but I'm in for 2017. Hoping to discover at least 15-20 new authors. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping all my lists over on my challenge blog (HERE).


Tuesday, January 03, 2017

2017 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge


Host: Passages to the Past
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


I'm signing up at the Victorian Reader level (5 books). During the year, I'll be tracking my progress HERE on my Challenge blog.


Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Banned/Challenged Books Reading Challenge 2017


Hosted by: Book Dragon's Lair
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


Censorship is something we all need to be aware of and concerned about. I've always believed that, and I think today it's more important than ever. So I just can't pass up this challenge.

The object is simple: Read books that have been banned or challenged; or, read nonfiction books about censorship, book burning, etc. See the challenge announcement page for more info.

There are four levels for the challenge:
  1. Read 1 book. You are an Ember. You're small but mighty just waiting to burn the structure down.
  2. Read 2-6 books. You are Creeping. You're burning with a low flame and spreading slowly.
  3. Read 7-12 books. You are a Blow-up fire. Sudden increase in fire intensity strong enough to upset control plans
  4. Read 13+ books. You are Uncontrolled. Any fire which threatens to destroy life, property, or natural resources.
I'm hoping to read several banned or challenged books next year, so I'll be signing up at the "Creeping" level. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog (HERE).


Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunt 2017


Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


Over at her My Reader's Block blog, Bev is once again hosting the Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunt in 2017. For this challenge, participants read vintage mysteries — either Golden Age (pre-1960) or Silver Age (1960-1989), or both — and hunt for a variety of objects on the book covers.

The 2016 Scavenger Hunt was one of my favorite challenges this year, even though I didn't do very well with it (actually, I'm still trying to finish one more book for it). I've dithered around a bit, but decided to give it another try in 2017. Since I seemed to have a hard time with the Silver Age, I think I'll try Golden Age mysteries this time around.


During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping all my lists over on my challenge blog (HERE).



Monday, December 19, 2016

Backlist Reader Challenge 2017


Hosted by: The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


This is a really simple challenge, and something I definitely need. I'm planning to do more reading from my own "backlist" next year, so I've been looking at several TBR challenges. This one is perfect for me because it has very few rules, and you don't necessarily have to own the books already -- as long as they're on your "to read" list (and they were published before 2016), they qualify. That means a lot more flexibility in choosing books. I love that.

I have a (ridiculously enormous) GoodReads list of books I'd like to read, and an even longer written list (yes, on paper!) that I'll be referring to for picks. Also, I'll be keeping a list of possible reads on my challenge blog (HERE), and tracking my progress there throughout the year. My goal is to read at least a dozen books off these various lists -- I'd love to read more than that, but want to stay realistic about what I can hope to achieve!


2017 Monthly Keyword Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Claudia @ My Soul Called Life
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


This challenge presents six keywords associated with each month in 2017. Participants read one book each month whose title includes one or more of the keywords for that month.

Monthly Keywords:

  • JAN -- Court, Fall, Of, Way, Deep, Thousand
  • FEB -- And, Rose, Promise, Every, Deception, Blazing
  • MAR -- Shall, Go, By, Silence, Her, Saga
  • APR -- From, Trigger, Tale, His, Crown, Mist
  • MAY -- Four, Wind, All, Fury, Days, Shade
  • JUN -- Without, Know, Good, Watch, One, Have
  • JUL -- Before, Final, All, Freedom, Life, Dream
  • AUG -- Sun, Infinite, Big, My, Wherever, Most
  • SEP -- Sand, From, Between, Ever, Reasons, Clash
  • OCT -- Darker, You, Ashes, Out, House, Sea
  • NOV -- Place, War, Heart, Why, Give, Meet
  • DEC -- Forget, Twilight, Only, Crystal, On, Will

At first I didn't really intend to join in on the Monthly Keyword Challenge -- I was just going to play around with it a little. But I've been having so much fun matching up books with keywords, I decided I might as well go ahead and sign up. The concept is intriguing, and I think it could help me knock a few books off my embarrassingly huge TBR pile.

Also, I was especially happy to read this little note: "This challenge is simply for the pure satisfaction of reading so please don’t worry if you have to skip a month or if you have to read your books out of order!"

During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog (HERE).

Some possible choices (definitely subject to change):

JANUARY
-- The Fall Guy. James Lasdun
-- Things Fall Apart. Chinua Achebe

FEBRUARY
-- Fathers and Sons. Ivan Turgenev
-- Hide and Seek (Inspector Rebus #2). Ian Rankin
-- Mrs. Malory and a Death In the Family (Sheila Malory #17). Hazel Holt
-- Rose Cottage. Mary Stewart

MARCH
-- The Go-Between. L.P. Hartley
-- Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Carson
-- North By Northwest. Ernest Lehman

APRIL
-- Dancer From the Dance. Andrew Holleran 
-- Far From the Madding Crowd. Thomas Hardy
-- Flowers For His Funeral (Mitchell & Markby #7). Ann Granger
-- Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce #5). Alan Bradley

MAY
-- Six Days of the Condor. James Grady
-- The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame
-- All Passion Spent. Vita Sackville-West

JUNE
-- Good Morning, Midnight. Jean Rhys
-- A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia De Luce #3). Alan Bradley

JULY
-- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick
-- Dream When You're Feeling Blue. Elizabeth Berg
-- Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh

AUGUST
-- Farewell, My Lovely. Raymond Chandler 
-- Gently In the Sun (Inspector George Gently #6). Alan Hunter 
-- Travels With My Aunt. Graham Greene

SEPTEMBER
-- Between the Acts. Virginia Woolf
-- If Morning Ever Comes. Anne Tyler
-- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Henry Farrell

OCTOBER
-- The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories. Algernon Blackwood
-- Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys

NOVEMBER
-- The Death of the Heart. Elizabeth Bowen
-- The Heart of the Matter. Graham Greene
-- The Summer Before the War. Helen Simonson

DECEMBER
-- The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart
-- The Forgetting Room: A Fiction. Nick Bantock
-- Murder on the Orient Express. Agatha Christie


(Notice that there are two keywords repeated: ALL in May and July, and FROM in April and September. I believe those are the only repeats.)


Thursday, December 15, 2016

More Challenge Sign-Ups

Since we're getting so close to the end of the year, I thought I'd go ahead and make it official with a few of the challenges I've been considering. All of these fit right in with my reading plans for next year, so I don't think they'll be too hard to keep up with. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping all my book lists over on my challenge blog (HERE).


ebook Reading Challenge 2017
Hosted by: Book Dragon's Lair


Books for this challenge must be electronic (naturally), and must have an ISBN or equivalent. As the announcement page says: "If you can buy it or borrow it, it counts."

There are several levels for this challenge, and I'm going with "Byte" (10 books) even though I'm pretty sure I'll read more than that. (I love ebooks!)

You can view my progress HERE.


The 2017 New To Me Challenge
Hosted by: herding cats & burning soup


What counts for the challenge: Anything that's "new" to you; for example...
  • first time reading an author 
  • first book in a series 
  • first book you've read from a series (doesn't have to be book one) 
  • first time trying a genre/subgenre 
  • a debut book from an author (even if you've read them before)
Books need to be over 80 pages to count, and there's a minimum of 12 books for the challenge (but you can choose any amount over that). I'm going with "first time reading an author" and my goal is to read at least 20 new-to-me authors during the year. (View my progress HERE.)


What's In a Name 2017
Hosted by: Charlie @ The Worm Hole


I didn't do very well with the 2016 edition of this challenge, so I'm signing up for 2017 and hoping to redeem myself. Besides, it's always so much fun trying to come up with book titles to fit the categories! There are six of those categories, and I don't really have any books set to read yet, so I'll just be picking them as I go. (View my progress HERE.)


Monday, December 12, 2016

2017 Newbery Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Julie @ Smiling Shelves
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017


In 2017, Julie (at Smiling Shelves) is once again hosting the Newbery Reading Challenge. I like this challenge a lot, even though I didn't do very well with it this year (only read one book). Hoping to do better next year. Of course, that's what I said last year about this year. Hmmm. I seem to be repeating myself.

Anyway, I'd like to read at least half a dozen books for the challenge, and will be signing up at the first level ("L'Engle"). I don't have a set list of books to read, but I do have quite a few that've been on my TBR list/pile for a number of years decades:

Newbery Winners and Honor Books
  • By the Shores of Silver Lake. Laura Ingalls Wilder 
  • The Cricket in Times Square. George Selden
  • Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field
  • Miss Hickory. Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
  • The Westing Game. Ellen Raskin
  • When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead
  • The Witches of Worm. Zilpha Keatley Snyder 
Caldecott Winners
  • The Funny Little Woman. Illustrated by Blair Lent; text: retold by Arlene Mosel 
  • Golem. David Wisniewski 
  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick 
  • Many Moons. Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber 
  • Owl Moon. Illustrated by John Schoenherr; text: Jane Yolen 
  • Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. William Steig 

This year, Julie is allowing Caldecott Honor Books as well as winners, so that gives me a few more books to explore. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping all my lists over on my challenge blog (HERE).


Thursday, December 08, 2016

2017 Reading Challenges

[Note: For a more comprehensive list of 2017 reading challenges, just click on the Challenges tab above.]


📚📚📚📚📚

Still thinking about reading challenges for the coming new year. I'm posting this mainly as a way to keep track of the new challenges that interest me, so it's by no means a comprehensive list of ALL the challenges out there. Basically, I look for challenges that are not terribly restrictive and allow for different levels of involvement (so, no set number of books per week or month). Also (with one or two exceptions), I'm not really attracted to the long-list challenges with a lot of different categories or subjects ("Read a book that was published on a Thursday" "Read a book that has lamb chops on the cover" "Read a book recommended by your cousin Reg" etc.)

Anyway, these are just some I'm thinking might be fun. I've mentioned a few of them before. They're in (roughly) alphabetical order, and I'll probably be adding to the list as the month goes on.

In general, the links are to the announcement/sign-up pages. I will NOT be signing up for ALL of these. Well, probably not.

📚📚📚📚📚

  1. Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book 
  2. Aussie Author Challenge 2017 | Host: Book Lover Book Reviews 
  3. Australian Women Writers Challenge 2017 | Host: AustralianWomenWriters.com
  4. The Backlist Reader Challenge 2017 | Host: The Bookwyrm's Hoard  **signed up 12/19/2016: see my sign-up post**
  5. Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Karen K @ Books and Chocolate 
  6. Banned/Challenged Books Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Book Dragon's Lair 
  7. Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2017 | Hosts: Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and Barb @ Booker T's Farm
  8. Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  9. ebook Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Book Dragon's Lair **signed up 12/15/2016: see my sign-up post**
  10. Epistolary Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  11. European Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Rose City Reader **signed up 11/25/2016: see my sign-up post**
  12. Humor Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of! 
  13. Monthly Keyword Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Claudia @ My Soul Called Life **signed up 12/19/2016: see my sign-up post**
  14. Mount TBR Challenge 2017 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block 
  15. Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Katrina @ Bookish Things 
  16. Newbery Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Julie @ Smiling Shelves **signed up 12/13/2016: see my sign-up post**
  17. New Release Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews
  18. New To Me Challenge 2017 | Host: Herding Cats & Burning Soup  **signed up 12/15/2016: see my sign-up post** 
  19. Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Read-at-Home Mom  
  20. Paranormal Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Whole Latte Books
  21. Pick Your Genre Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Herding Cats & Burning Soup
  22. Picture Book Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  23. The Purrfect Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  24. Reading Challenge Addict 2017 | Host: Bev (from My Reader's Block)
  25. Retellings Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Jo @ Once Upon a Bookcase
  26. Russian Literature Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Keely @ We Went Outside and Saw the Stars
  27. Victorian Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  28. Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunt 2017 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block  **signed up 12/21/2016: see my sign-up post** 
  29. The Well Read Pagan Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: The Domestic Witch
  30. What An Animal Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  31. What's In A Name 2017 | Host: Charlie @ The Worm Hole   **signed up 12/15/2016: see my sign-up post** 
  32. Wired Into Sci-Fi Reading Challenge 2017 | Host: Sci-Fi and Scary
  33. The 2017 Witchy Fiction Reading Challenge | Host: The Domestic Witch 
  34. You Read How Many Books? Challenge 2017 | Host: Book Dragon's Lair

More to come....

📚📚📚📚📚

Friday, November 25, 2016

2017 European Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Rose City Reader
Dates: January 1, 2017 - January 31, 2018


This is always one of my favorite challenges, so I figured I might as well go on and sign up for 2017 even though I haven't wrapped up the 2016 edition yet.

I'm signing up at the "Five Star (Deluxe Entourage)" level, so I'll be reading five books by different European authors, or set in five different European countries. I don't have a list of books to read, but during the course of the challenge, I'll be tracking my progress and doing all my list-keeping over on my challenge blog (HERE).

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Can't Resist a Challenge

All right, I have to admit I sort of bombed out with my reading challenges this year. For various reasons (some good, some not so), I just never really got going. Well, to be honest, I had a pretty "meh" year when it comes to reading in general and blogging too.

And since I had so much trouble with my 2016 challenges, I really shouldn't be paying any attention to all those shiny new 2017 models being rolled out. But I'm incorrigible and just can't help myself. (Sort of a challenge junkie, I guess.) And naturally I'm hoping to do MUCH better next year. (Where have I heard that before?) Also, I really like to use reading challenges as a way to nudge myself into spending more time reading, and less time in front of the TV/computer screen. And at my advanced age, anything that helps exercise the old brain cells is definitely of value.

So, I'm watching the new challenges beginning to appear and getting very excited. BUT I'm also trying to keep myself a little more realistic for next year. I really don't want to go overboard again, really want to hold it down to just a few challenges I'll be able to keep track of and stick with all year. Right now, I haven't signed up for anything, but these are some I'm looking at.

Actually, there are a few I'm pretty sure about.


The European Reading Challenge, hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader, is always one of my favorites — I usually do manage to read all the books for the challenge, even if I don't get all the reviews posted. Barring any disasters, I'll be signing up again for 2017.

Bev at My Reader's Block hosts several challenges every year. All of them are interesting, but there are a couple I love. I didn't do very well on either the Mount TBR Challenge or the Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunt for 2016, but I'm still thinking of signing up for both of them again in 2017 and trying to improve my record.

And here are a group I'm interested in, but haven't really decided about yet:


I tried the Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge (over at Escape With Dollycas) once, a few years back, and had fun but never actually finished it. I love the idea of an alphabet challenge and matching up titles, but I have such a backlog of books I want to get to in 2017, I'm just not sure I'm ready for that much structure. Still, it's very tempting.

The Retellings Reading Challenge (hosted by Jo at Once Upon a Bookcase) has a very intriguing theme — retellings/reworkings (and prequels or sequels) of well-known stories, in addition to works that use real people or well-known fictional characters in new stories. But again, I'm afraid the focus might be just a little too strict for me. Of course, there's a basic level of just 1-4 books, which sounds doable. So ... a definite maybe.

The Wired Into Sci-Fi Reading Challenge (at Sci-Fi and Scary) caught my eye because I'm planning to read more science fiction next year. But the basic level ("Dabbler") calls for reading ten books, and I'm not sure I'll want to read that much sci-fi. Also, the books have to come from a set list, and I really prefer to choose my own challenge books. So that one is interesting, but probably not for me. Probably.

The You Read How Many Books? Challenge is being hosted back at Book Dragon's Lair for 2017. This a pretty simple challenge (which I love) — just read as many books as you can, and keep a public list somewhere (blog, GoodReads, etc). The thing is, the goal is to read at least 100 books, and that's just not realistic for me — my best number in recent years is just barely over 50. So I'd go into the challenge knowing I'd never be able to truly complete it. But that lofty goal might be just what I need to spur me on. Ya think? So, another maybe?

Well, that's enough for now, though I'm sure I'll be coming up with more lovely possibilities for my 2017 challenge list. But right now, I gotta get back to my reading.