Reading in 2026

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2026. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. I always hope for 50 books, though I never really expect to make that goal. But in 2025 I read 49 (including children's books), so I have high hopes for 2026.   

JANUARY

1. The Final Problem: A Novel. Arturo Pérez-Reverte; trans. by Frances Riddle (2023/2026; fiction / mystery; 303 pages)
2. More Than Enough: A Novel. Anna Quindlen (2026; fiction; 256 pages) 

FEBRUARY 

3. Cast, In Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris Mystery #1). Simon Brett (1975; fiction / mystery; 203 pages) 
4. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances: A Novel. Glenn Dixon (2026; fiction; 224 pages)

MARCH

5. The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag #1). David Handler (1988; fiction / mystery; 298 pages) 

6. Stonecliff. Robert Nathan (1967; fiction; 100 pages) 

7. Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Chronicles #3). Colin Watson (1962; fiction / mystery; 154 pages) 

APRIL

8. The Aspern Papers. Henry James (1888; fiction; 119 pages) - This was a re-read.
9. Lives of the Saints. Nancy Lemann (1985; fiction; 199 pages) 
10. The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2). Mary Pope Osborne; illus. by Sal Murdocca (1993; children's fiction / fantasy / middle grade; 66 pages) 
11. The Circular Staircase. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1908; fiction / mystery; 205 pages) 

MAY

12. Dumb Witness (Hercule Poirot #16). Agatha Christie (1937; fiction / mystery; 336 pages) 

JUNE

13. Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon (1997; fiction / historical fiction / mystery; 469 pages)

14. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (Agatha Raisin #6). M.C. Beaton (1997; fiction / cozy mystery; 212 pages) 
15. Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden #1). Charlaine Harris (1990; fiction / cozy mystery; 209 pages) 
16. Henrietta Who? (Inspector Sloan #2). Catherine Aird (1968; fiction / mystery; 249 pages) 

JULY

17. God Save the Child (Spenser #2). Robert B. Parker (1974; fiction / mystery; 209 pages)

18. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Shel Silverstein; illus. by author (1974; children's literature / poetry; 175 pages) 
19. Nothing to Report. Carola Oman (1940; fiction; 273 pages)
20. Whose Body in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #13). Eva Gates (2026; fiction / cozy mystery; 298 pages; reading now) 

 

AUGUST

21. The Man in the Queue (Inspector Alan Grant #1). Josephine Tey (1929; fiction / mystery; 281 pages) 

22. Death in a Tenured Position (Kate Fansler #6). Amanda Cross (1981; fiction / mystery; 178 pages)
23. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Samuel Taylor Coleridge; illus. by Gustave Doré (1798; fiction / verse) (This was a re-read.) 

24. The Pale Horse (Ariadne Oliver #5). Agatha Christie (1961; fiction / mystery; 275 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

25. The Honjin Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #1). Seishi Yokomizo; translated by Louise Heal Kawai (1946; fiction / mystery; 193 pages) 

26. 

OCTOBER

........   

NOVEMBER

........  

DECEMBER
 

........  

Children's Picture Books Read in 2026

1. Bea and Mr. Jones. Amy Schwartz; illus. by author (1982; 32 pages) 

2. Knight Owl. Christopher Denise; illus. by author (2022; Caldecott Honor book 2023)
3. No Roses for Harry! (Harry the Dog series). Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1958; 32 pages) 
4. The Rock from the Sky. Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2021)
5. This Is Not My Hat (The Hat Trilogy #2). Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2012; Caldecott Medal Winner 2013) 
6. A Tree Is Nice. Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont (1956; Caldecott Medal Winner 1957)

7. The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams Bianco; illus. by William Nicholson (1922)
8. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin. Lloyd Moss; illus. by Marjorie Priceman (1995; Caldecott Honor book 1996) 
9. The Emperor and the Kite. Jane Yolen; illus. by Ed Young (1967; Caldecott Honor book 1968) 
10. No Cats in the Library. Lauren Emmons; illus. by author (2024) 
11. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Jon Scieszka; illus. by Lane Smith (1992; Caldecott Honor book 1993) 

12. Unicorn (And Horse). David W. Miles; illus. by Hollie Mengert (2018)

13. Unique Monique. Maria Rousakis; illus. by Polina Papanikolaou (2001, 2008) 
14. Fancy Dogs. Tini Malina; illus. by author; translated by Tammi Reichel (2026) 

📚📚📚📚📚

........

Monday Reading Report and 2025 Wrap-Up

I haven’t published much on the blog this year. Almost nothing, actually. I’ve had some personal challenges this year that took up time and energy I might otherwise have devoted to reviewing and book discussions. But even though I haven’t posted much, I’ve still been reading and taking note of what others are reading. So instead of talking about what I'm reading here at year's end, I thought I’d do a little wrap-up report on what I read during the year, and look at a few stats. 

I've listed the books alphabetically, with their ratings. The star ratings are those I use for rating books at LibraryThing. Here’s the system I use over there:

✭✭✭✭✭ = All-time favorites and new discoveries that I loved - not many get this rating
✭✭✭✭ = Really liked it - an author I might consider reading again
✭✭✭ = An enjoyable read, but nothing extraordinary; most books will fall into this category
✭✭ = It was OK, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to others
✭ = Mediocre; disappointing; had trouble finishing
DNF (Did Not Finish) = Books I started reading and then put aside. This doesn't necessarily mean I didn't like a book, just that I wasn't able to finish it or didn't feel like continuing with it. Might or might not finish it later.

Excluding Dr Seuss and a couple of other children's books that were re-reads of childhood favorites, I didn't discover any 5-star reads this year. However, there were a few that came very close. For top three I'd choose Huxley's Crome Yellow, Zorrie by Laird Hunt, and Ready for My Close-Up by David M. Lubin. Surprisingly, none of those were mysteries or thrillers. 

📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

First, some stats. Lists of books read will follow. 

• Total number of books read = 49 (almost made it to the 50-book goal)
• Number of DNF books (not included in the list) = 7 (I think)
• Number of fiction books = 44 
• Number of nonfiction books = 5 
• Total number of pages read = I have no idea, but I intentionally avoided chunksters this year
• Number of books published in 2025 = 7
• Number of books published before the year 2000 = 27
• Number of non-crime related fiction books  = 12 (ignoring the kiddie lit, which – thankfully – did not have anything to do with crime)
• Print books vs Electronic books = 18 print / 31 ebooks
• Number of audio books = 0 (I don't like them much)
• Number of library books = 0 (shame on me) 
• Best book to read aloud = Fox in Socks, by Dr Seuss 
• Best book to read if you want a good laugh = Anguished English, by Richard Lederer

Adult Titles Read in 2025: 

1. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer; illus. by Bill Thompson (1987) ✭✭✭✭
2. The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster (2002) ✭✭✭✭
3. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2), by Erle Stanley Gardner (1933) ✭✭✭✭
4. Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921) ✭✭✭✭½
5. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25), by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025)  ✭✭✭✭
6. The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
7. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
8. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker (1973) ✭✭✭✭
9. Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (Gordon McAlpine) (2013)  ✭✭✭✭
10. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4), by Alan Bradley (2011) ✭✭✭✭
11. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1), by Ann Cleeves (2025)  ✭✭✭
12. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1), by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025) ✭✭✭½
13. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2), by John le Carré (1962) ✭✭✭✭
14. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4), by Robert Thorogood (2025) ✭✭✭½
15. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland", by Jenny Woolf (2010) ✭✭✭½
16. Origin (Robert Langdon #5), by Dan Brown (2017) ✭✭✭
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1), by Stuart Palmer (1931) ✭✭✭½
18. The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (2016) ✭✭✭½
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952) ✭✭✭✭
20. Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025)  ✭✭✭✭½
21. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12), by Eva Gates (2025)  ✭✭✭
22. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1), by Gladys Mitchell (1929) ✭✭✭
23. Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021) ✭✭½
24. Strange Pictures: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2022;2025) ✭✭✭
25. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11), by Eva Gates (2024) ✭✭✭½
26. Writers and Their Notebooks, by Diana M. Raab (2010) ✭✭✭
27. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #01), by W.J. Burley (1968) ✭✭✭
28. Zorrie, by Laird Hunt (2021) ✭✭✭✭½

Children's Middle Grade and Young Adult Titles:

1. The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead (2025)  ✭✭✭✭
2. Little Jeanne of France, by Madeline Brandeis (1929) (this was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
3. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4), by James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrrill (1987) ✭✭✭✭
4. The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965) ✭✭✭✭

Children’s Books - Picture Books and Easy Reading: 

1. The Christmas ABC, by Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962) ✭✭✭✭
2. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
3. Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965) ✭✭✭✭✭
4. The Fuzzy Duckling, by Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949) ✭✭✭✭
5. If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998) ✭✭✭✭
6. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965) ✭✭✭✭
7. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭½
8. The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
9. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
10. The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
11. Nurse Nancy, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960) ✭✭✭✭
13. The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭✭✭✭
14. Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952) ✭✭✭✭
15. The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000) ✭✭✭✭
16. XO, OX: A Love Story, by Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017) ✭✭✭✭

Hard to Categorize:

1. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2), by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022)  ✭✭✭½

📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

Reading in 2025

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2025. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. And, once again, I don't expect to hit that mark.  

JANUARY

1. Origin (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown (2017; fiction / thriller; 482 pages)
2. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4). Alan Bradley (2011; fiction / mystery; 305 pages) 
3. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland". Jenny Woolf (2010; nonfiction / biography / literary history; 336 pages; reading now)
4. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 336 pages)

FEBRUARY

5. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12). Eva Gates (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 272 pages) 
6. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11). Eva Gates (2024; fiction / cozy mystery; 297 pages) 

MARCH

7. The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen; adapted & illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000; children's picture book / fable; 40 pages)
8. The Relatives Came. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; children's picture book; 32 pages) 

9. Hammett Unwritten. Gordon McAlpine (2013; fiction / mystery; 178 pages) 

APRIL

10. Fox in Socks. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965; children's picture book / humor; 62 pages) 

11. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965; children's picture book / humor; 64 pages) 

12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960; childlren's picture book / humor; 63 pages) 

13. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; children's picture book; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; 32 pages) 
14. XO, OX: A Love Story. Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017; children's picture book / humor; 32 pages) 
15. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25). Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025; fiction / mystery; 253 pages)

16. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language. Richard Lederer (1987; nonfiction / cultural history / language; 157 pages)
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1). Stuart Palmer (1931; fiction / mystery; 280 pages) 

MAY

18. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1). Gladys Mitchell (1929; fiction / mystery; 266 pages) 
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21). Rex Stout (1952; fiction / mystery; 226 pages) 

20. The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster (2002; fiction; 333 pages)

JUNE

21. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2). John le Carré (1962; fiction / mystery; 158 pages) 
22. Writers and Their Notebooks. Diana Raab (2010; nonfiction / essays; 206 pages) 

JULY

23. The Lorax. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971; children's picture book; 72 pages; this was a re-read)
24. If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998; children's picture book; 32 pages) 
25. The Library. Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995; children's picture book; 40 pages; this was a re-read) 

26. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1). W.J. Burley (1968; fiction / mystery; 224 pages) 

AUGUST

27. Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream. David M. Lubin (2025; nonfiction / cultural history / film; 301 pages) 

28. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2). Erle Stanley Gardner (1933; fiction / mystery; 264 pages) 
29. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4). James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrill (1987; children's fiction / mystery; 144 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

30. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4). Robert Thorogood (2025; fiction / mystery; 251 pages)
31. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1). Robert B. Parker (1973; fiction / mystery; 210 pages) 
32. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1). Ann Cleeves (2025; fiction / mystery; 384 pages) 

OCTOBER

33. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2). Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022; children's literature / fantasy; 159 pages)
34. Strange Houses: A Novel. Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021; fiction / mystery / horror / weird fiction; 203 pages)
35. The Princess Diarist. Carrie Fisher (2016; nonfiction / memoir; 272 pages)  

NOVEMBER

36. Strange Pictures. Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2022; fiction / mystery / horror; 240 pages) 
37. Crome Yellow. Aldous Huxley (1921; fiction / satire; 223 pages)
38. The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery / cozy mystery; 112 pages) 

39. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man. Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

40. Nurse Nancy. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read) 

41. Tawny Scrawny Lion. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) 

42. The Fuzzy Duckling. Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) 

DECEMBER
 

43. The Night Before Christmas. Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

44. The Christmas ABC. Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) 
45. The Experiment. Rebecca Stead (2025; children's literature / science fiction; 268 pages) 

46. The Velvet Room. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965; fiction / children's literature; 228 pages)
47. Zorrie. Laird Hunt (2021; fiction; 176 pages) 
48. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery / cozy mystery; 108 pages) 

.......

📚📚📚📚📚

........

Books Read in 2024

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2024. I used to aim for 50 books a year, but for 2024 I'm just hoping to do better than the dozen books I read last year. 

JANUARY

1. City of Glass (New York Trilogy, Book 1). Paul Auster (1985; fiction / mystery; 203 pages) 
2. Ghosts (New York Trilogy, Book 2). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 100 pages) 
3. The Locked Room (New York Trilogy, Book 3). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 179 pages) 
4. Heads You Lose (Inspector Cockrill #1). Christianna Brand (1941; fiction / mystery; 196 pages) 

FEBRUARY

5. Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8). Agatha Christie (1932; fiction / mystery; 288 pages) 
6. World's Fair. E.L. Doctorow (1985; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages) 
7. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Chris Grabenstein (2013; fiction / children's literature; 293 pages)

MARCH

8.  The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively (1977; fiction; 224 pages) 
9.  Experimental Film. Gemma Files (2015; fiction; 314 pages) 
10. Last House. Jessica Shattuck (2024; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages) 

APRIL

11. After Annie. Anna Quindlen (2024; fiction; 273 pages) 
12. Hamnet. Maggie O'Farrell (2020; fiction / historical fiction; 321 pages) 
13. Unexpected Night (Henry Gamadge Mysteries #1). Elizabeth Daly (1940; fiction / mystery; 221 pages)

MAY

14. The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Sarah McCammon (2024; nonfiction / memoir / culture; 288 pages) 
15. Oracle Night. Paul Auster (2003; fiction; 260 pages) 
16. Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey. Karen Wilkin (2009; nonfiction / art / art history; 123 pages) 
17. Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty. Alexander Larman (2024; nonfiction / history; 525 pages)
18. Toyland: Classic Illustrations of Children and Their Toys. Pamela Prince; designed by Barry Zaid (1990; art / art history / children's books; 44 pages)

JUNE

19. Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (1847; fiction; 465 pages) 

JULY

20. If Death Ever Slept (Nero Wolfe #29). Rex Stout (1957; fiction / mystery; 208 pages) 

21. Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn #11). Ngaio Marsh (1941; fiction / mystery; 356 pages) 

AUGUST

22. A Grave Mistake (Roderick Alleyn #30). Ngaio Marsh (1978; fiction / mystery; 260 pages)
23. Death in a White Tie (Roderick Alleyn #7). Ngaio Marsh (1938; fiction / mystery; 329 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

24. Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh (1947; fiction / mystery; 301 pages) 
25. The House Takes a Vacation. Jacqueline Davies; illus. by Lee White (2007; children's picture book; 32 pages)

OCTOBER

26. Du Iz Tak? Carson Ellis; illus. by author (2016; children's picture book; 2017 Caldecott Honor Book; 48 pages) 
27. White Snow, Bright Snow. Alvin Tresselt; illus. by Roger Duvoisin (1947; children's picture book; 1948 Caldecott Medal Winner; 32 pages) 
28. Have You Seen My Duckling? Nancy Tafuri; illus. by author (1984; children's picture book; 1985 Caldecott Honor Book; 32 pages) 
29. The Dweller on the Threshold. Robert Smythe Hichens (1911; fiction; 292 pages)

30. The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula #3). James Howe; illus. by Leslie H. Morrill (1983; children's literature / horror / humor; 81 pages) 
31. Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps #1). R.L. Stine (1992; children's literature / horror; 108 pages) 
32. Three Days in June. Anne Tyler (2025; fiction; 176 pages) 

NOVEMBER

33. We'll Prescribe You a Cat. Syou Ishida; trans. by E. Madison Shimoda (2023/ 2024; fiction; 301 pages) 
34. Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Joan Didion (2021; nonfiction / essays; 194 pages) 

35. Every Time We Say Goodbye (Jane Austen Society #3). Natalie Jenner (2024; historical fiction; 336 pages) 

36. The Little Island. Margaret Wise Brown; illus. by Leonard Weisgard (1946; children's picture book; 1947 Caldecott Medal Winner; 48 pages) 

37. They Were Strong and Good. Robert Lawson; illus. by author (1940; children's picture book; 1941 Caldecott Medal Winner; 72 pages) 

38. The Queen of Poisons (Marlow Murder Club #3). Robert Thorogood (2024; fiction / mystery; 272 pages) 

DECEMBER

39. The X-Files: Ground Zero (X-Files #3). Kevin J. Anderson (1995; fiction / science fiction / sci-fi fantasy; 340 pages) 
40. The Donaldson Case (Markham Sisters #4). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery; 105 pages) 
41. James. Percival Everett (2024; historical fiction; 307 pages) 

.......

📚📚📚📚📚

Books Read in 2023

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2023. I'm getting a late start with the list, and didn't manage to do any reading in January or February. But my goal for 2023 is a lot lower than most years. If I read a book or two a month during the rest of this year, I'll be satisfied. 

MARCH

1. High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell (1933; fiction)

APRIL

2. Wild Strawberries (Barsetshire #2). Angela Thirkell (1934; fiction) 
3. Bramton Wick. Elizabeth Fair (1952; fiction) 

MAY

4. The Windsors at War: The King, His Brother, and a Family Divided. Alexander Larman (2023; nonfiction / history)

JUNE

5. Landscape in Sunlight. Elizabeth Fair (1953; fiction) 

JULY

6. Death Comes to Marlow (Marlow Murder Club #2). Robert Thorogood (2023; fiction / mystery)

AUGUST

7. Looking Glass Sound. Catriona Ward (2023; fiction / horror) 

SEPTEMBER

8. The Heiress. Rachel Hawkins (2024; fiction / thriller) 

OCTOBER

9. The Messy Lives of Book People. Phaedra Patrick (2022; fiction / women's fiction / adult fantasy) 
10. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael. Beth Morrey (2020; fiction / women's fiction)

NOVEMBER

11. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died (Emily Dickinson Mystery #2). Amanda Flower (2023; fiction / mystery / historical fiction) 

DECEMBER

12. When You Are Engulfed in Flames. David Sedaris (2008; nonfiction / humor / essays) 

📚📚📚📚📚

Edgar Award Nominees Announced

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the nominees for the 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, commonly referred to as the "Edgars." The annual awards honor the past year's best writing in mystery fiction and nonfiction. There are also awards for television writing, published or produced in 2021. 

Since this is my favorite genre, I always like to see who's been nominated every year. Gives me lots of titles to add to my (already ridiculously long) TBR list, and helps me find new authors I might want to try. This year, I'm embarrassed to admit, I haven't read any of the nominated works, and I've only seen one of the TV shows (the  “Happy Families” episode of the Midsomer Murders series, written by Nicholas Hicks-Beach; available on Acorn TV).

The awards celebration is scheduled to take place on April 28, 2022 at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square, as well as online. I'm not going to include all the nominations here (you can see the full list on the MWA website), but these are a  few of the books I'm looking forward to checking out.

Cold-Blooded Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #3)

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Category: Best Juvenile Work

From the publisher:

Myrtle Hardcastle – twelve-year-old Young Lady of Quality and Victorian amateur detective – is back on the case, solving a string of bizarre murders in her hometown of Swinburne and picking up right where she left off in Premeditated Myrtle and How to Get Away with Myrtle.

When the proprietor of Leighton’s Mercantile is found dead on the morning his annual Christmas shop display is to be unveiled, it’s clear a killer had revenge in mind. But who would want to kill the local dry-goods merchant? Perhaps someone who remembers the mysterious scandal that destroyed his career as a professor and archaeologist. When the killer strikes again, each time manipulating the figures in the display to foretell the crime, Myrtle finds herself racing to uncover the long-buried facts of a cold case – and the motivations of a modern murderer. 

 

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet

by Katherine Cowley

(Tule Publishing – Tule Mystery)

Category: The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award

From the publisher:

Upon the death of her father, Mary Bennet's life is thrown into turmoil. With no fortune or marriage prospects, Mary must rely on the kindness of her relatives. When a mysterious late-night visit by an unknown relative – a Lady Trafford from Castle Durrington – leads to an extended stay and the chance for an education, Mary gratefully accepts the opportunity.

But even as she arrives at the castle, she's faced with one mystery after another. Who is Lady Trafford really and what is she hiding? Do her secrets and manipulations place the small seaside community at risk of an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte? Always curious, Mary sets out to discover the truth. But when she discovers the dead body of a would-be thief she outed prior to her father's funeral, Mary jeopardizes her position at the castle and her family's good name in her quest for the truth.

Never underestimate the observation skills of a woman who hides in the background.

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World

by Mark Aldridge

(HarperCollins Publishers – Harper360)

Category: Best Critical/Biographical

From the publisher:

From the very first book publication in 1920 to the upcoming film release of Death on the Nile, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favorite fictional detective.

This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his appearances not only in the original novels, short stories and plays but also across stage, screen and radio productions. The hardback edition includes more than 400 illustrations.

Poirot has had near-permanent presence in the public eye ever since the 1920 publication of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. From character development, publication history and private discussion concerning the original stories themselves, to early forays on to the stage and screen, the story of Poirot is as fascinating as it is enduring.

Based on the author’s original research, review excerpts and original Agatha Christie correspondence, Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World is a lively and accessible history of the character, offering new information and helpful pieces of context, that will delight all Agatha Christie fans, from a new generation of readers to those already highly familiar with the canon.

The Reason for the Darkness of the Night:

Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science

by John Tresch

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Category: Best Critical/Biographical

From the publisher:

We all think we know Poe – the most popular American writer around the world, dissolute puzzle-maker, pioneer of detective fiction, and author of haunting, atmospheric verse. But what if there was another side to the man who wrote “The Raven” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”? What if Poe were as well known for his speculations about the birth of the universe or his “Sonnet–to Science”? In The Reason for the Darkness of the Night: Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science, John Tresch offers a bold new life of one of the nineteenth century’s most iconic writers. By shining a spotlight on a time when the line between speculative endeavors and scientific inquiry was blurred, Tresch reveals Poe to have been much more than a practitioner of science fiction – in fact, he was an avid commentator on scientific developments, publishing and circulating in literary milieux that also played host to lectures and demonstrations by the era’s most prominent scientists, semi-scientists, and pseudo-intellectual rogues. As one newspaper put it, “Mr. Poe is not merely a man of science – not merely a poet – not merely a man of letters. He is all combined; and perhaps he is something more.” Beginning with his study of mathematics and engineering at West Point, and taking us through the tumultuous years leading up to publication of “The Raven,” Tresch shows that Poe nurtured a fascination with science from his earliest days as a writer. In works such as “A Descent into the Maelstrom” and “Mesmeric Revelation,” Poe explored subjects ranging from the physics of vortices to occult psychology, later turning his attention to the origins of the universe in a dazzling lecture that would win the admiration of Albert Einstein and other twentieth-century physicists. Throughout, he lived and suffered for his ideas, and remained a figure of brilliant contradiction: he gleefully exposed the hoaxes of the era’s pseudo-scientific fraudsters even as he perpetrated hoaxes himself. The Reason for the Darkness of the Night is the richest portrait yet of a writer whose life is synonymous with mystery and an entertaining, erudite tour of the world of American science just as it was beginning to come into its own.

............

Looking Forward

Now that I've signed up for the New Release Challenge this year, I've started watching publication schedules a little more closely than I have in recent years. And I've put together a list of soon-to-be-published books that seem interesting. I definitely can't hope to read all of them, but I'm hoping it'll help keep me focused on what's coming up in 2022. (And I do love a list!) I'll try to remember to add to it as I discover new titles throughout the year. (Not every book published during the year will make the list — just books that sound like something I'd like to read.)

JANUARY Releases

• Chivalry. Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Colleen Doran (Dark Horse Books; 11 Jan)
• The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. Eva Jurczyk (Poisoned Pen Press; 25 Jan)
• Devil House. John Darnielle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 25 Jan)
• The Maid. Nita Prose (Random House / Ballantine; 4 Jan) 
• The Twyford Code. Janice Hallett (Viper; 13 Jan) 

FEBRUARY Releases

• Beneath the Stairs. Jennifer Fawcett (Atria Books; 22 Feb) 
• City of the Dead (Alex Delaware #37). Jonathan Kellerman (Random House / Ballantine; 8 Feb)
• The Christie Affair. Nina de Gramont (St Martin’s; 1 Feb)
• Dead Silence. S.A. Barnes (Tor Nightfire; 8 Feb) 
• The Family Chao. Lan Samantha Chang (W.W. Norton; 1 Feb)
• The Fashion Orphans. Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose (Blue Box Press; 1 Feb)
• A Game of Fear (Inspector Rutledge #24). Charles Todd (William Morrow; 1 Feb)
• Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age. Dennis Duncan (W.W. Norton; 15 Feb)

MARCH Releases

• The Book of Cold Cases. Simone St. James (Berkley Publishing Group; 15 Mar) 
• The Cartographers. Peng Shepherd (William Morrow / Custom House; 15 Mar)
• French Braid. Anne Tyler (Knopf; 22 Mar) 
• I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir. Harvey Fierstein (Knopf; 1 Mar) 
• Portrait of an Unknown Lady. María Gainza; trans: Thomas Bunstead (Catapult, 22 Mar)
• Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times. Azar Nafisi (Dey Street Books; 8 Mar)
• Secret Identity. Alex Segura (Flatiron Books; 15 Mar) 

APRIL Releases

• The Children on the Hill. Jennifer McMahon (Gallery / Scout Press; 26 Apr)
• The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare. Kimberly Brock (Harper Muse; 12 Apr)
• Sea of Tranquility. Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf; 5 Apr)

MAY Releases

• Blame It on the Brontës. Annie Sereno (Grand Central / Forever; 3 May) 
• The Cherry Robbers. Sarai Walker (Harper / Mariner Books; 17 May) 
• The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. Bill McKibben (Henry Holt & Co.; 31 May) 
• The Hacienda. Isabel Cañas (Berkley; 3 May) 
• Hidden Pictures. Jason Rekulak (Flatiron Books; 3 May) 
• Hide. Kiersten White (Del Rey Books, 24 May) 
• The House of Marvellous Books. Fiona Vigo Marshall (Fairlight Books; 19 May) 
• The Library. Bella Osborne (Aria; 1 May) 
• The Marlow Murder Club. Robert Thorogood (Poisoned Pen Press; 3 May) 
• Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance. Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.; 17 May) 
• River of the Gods: Sir Richard Burton, Sidi Mubarak Bombay, John Hanning Speke, and the Epic Search for the Source of the Nile. Candice Millard (Doubleday; 17 May) 
• The Shores of Bohemia: A Cape Cod Story, 1910-1960. John Taylor Williams (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 17 May) 
• Take Your Breath Away. Linwood Barclay (William Morrow; 17 May)

JUNE Releases

• Death By Beach Read (Lighthouse Library Mystery #9). Eva Gates (Crooked Lane Books; 7 Jun) 
• A Face to Die For (Eve Duncan #28). Iris Johansen (Grand Central; 14 Jun) 
• The Goldenacre. Philip Miller (Soho Press; 28 Jun)
• Hatchet Island (Mike Bowditch #13). Paul Doiron (St. Martin's / Minotaur; 28 Jun)
• The House Across the Lake. Riley Sager (Dutton; 21 Jun) 
• In Search of the Magic Theater. Karla Huebner (Regal House; 1 Jun) 
• Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. Clare Pooley (Penguin Viking; 7 Jun) 
• The Kingdom of Sand. Andrew Holleran (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 7 Jun) 
• Lapvona. Ottessa Moshfegh (Penguin; 21 Jun) 
• Local Gone Missing. Fiona Barton (Berkley; 14 Jun) 
• The Omega Factor. Steve Berry (Grand Central; 7 Jun) 
• The Woman in the Library. Sulari Gentill (Poisoned Pen Press; 7 Jun) 

JULY Releases

• Acts of Violet. Margarita Montimore (Flatiron Books; 5 Jul) 
• Chrysalis (Jeremy Logan #6). Lincoln Child (Doubleday; 12 Jul) 
• The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Random House - DelRey (19 Jul)
• Fellowship Point. Alice Elliott Dark (Scribner /Marysue Rucci Books; 5 Jul) 
• The It Girl. Ruth Ware (Gallery/Scout Press; 12 Jul) 
• J.R. Silver Writes Her World. Melissa Dassori; illus. by Chelen Ecija (Christy Ottaviano Books; 19 Jul) 
• The Poet's House. Jean Thompson (Algonquin Books; 12 Jul)
• The Retreat (Detective Elin Warner #2). Sarah Pearse (Pamela Dorman Books; 19 Jul) 
• Upgrade. Blake Crouch (Ballantine Books; 12 Jul) 
• What Moves the Dead. T. Kingfisher (Tor Nightfire; 12 Jul) 
• When We Were Bright and Beautiful. Jillian Medoff (Harper; 5 Jul)

AUGUST Releases

• Daisy Darker. Alice Feeney (Flatiron Books; 30 Aug) 
• The Deepest Black. Randall Silvis (Poisoned Pen Press; 2 Aug) 
• Elizabeth Finch. Julian Barnes (Knopf; 16 Aug) 
• Small Angels. Lauren Owen (Random House; 2 Aug) 
• Stay Awake. Megan Goldin (St. Martin's; 9 Aug) 

SEPTEMBER Releases

• Back to the Garden. Laurie R. King (Random House - Bantam; 6 Sep) 
• The Bad Angel Brothers. Paul Theroux (Mariner Books; 6 Sep) 
• Because I Could Not Stop for Death. Amanda Flower (Berkley; 20 Sep) 
• The Deception. Kim Taylor Blakemore (Lake Union Publishing; 27 Sep) 
• Fairy Tale. Stephen King (Scribner, 6 Sep) 
• Lucy by the Sea. Elizabeth Strout (Random House; 20 Sep) 
• Other Birds. Sarah Addison Allen (St. Martin's ; 13 Sep) 
  
• The Other Side of Night. Adam Hamdy (Atria Books; 27 Sep) 
• We Spread. Iain Reid (Gallery/Scout Press; 27 Sep) 
  

OCTOBER Releases

• Come Back in September: A Literary Education on West Sixty-Seventh Street, Manhattan. Darryl Pinckney (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 25 Oct)
• The Dark Between the Trees. Fiona Barnett (Solaris; 11 Oct) 
• The Dark Room. Lisa Gray (Thomas & Mercer; 25 Oct) 
• Ghostwritten: Four Novellas. Ronald Malfi (Titan Books; 4 Oct) 
• Marmee. Sarah Miller (William Morrow; 25 Oct) 
• Our Missing Hearts. Celeste Ng (Penguin; 4 Oct) 
• Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World. Irene Vallejo; trans. by Charlotte Whittle (Knopf; 11 Oct)
• Shadow Sister. Lindsay Marcott (Thomas & Mercer; 18 Oct) 

NOVEMBER Releases

• Bleeding Heart Yard (Harbinder Kaur #3). Elly Griffiths (Mariner Books; 15 Nov) 
• The Cloisters. Katy Hays (Atria Books; 1 Nov)
• Dead Men Don’t Decorate (Old Town Antiques Mystery #1). Cordy Abbott (Crooked Lane Books; 8 Nov) 
• Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century. Roseanne Montillo (Atria Books; 1 Nov)
• The Magic Kingdom. Russell Banks (Knopf; 8 Nov) 
• Murder at Black Oaks. Phillip Margolin (Minotaur; 8 Nov) 
• Now Is Not the Time to Panic. Kevin Wilson (Ecco; 8 Nov) 
• Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. Lisa Unger (Park Row; 8 Nov) 
• The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey. Serena Burdick (Park Row; 1 Nov) 

DECEMBER Releases

• Devil's Delight (Agatha Raisin #33). M.C. Beaton, R.W. Green (Minotaur Books, 13 Dec) 
• The Ingenue. Rachel Kapelke-Dale (St. Martin's Press; 6 Dec) 
• Night Shift (Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery #13). Robin Cook (Putnam's Sons; 6 Dec) 
• Showstopper (Peter Diamond #21). Peter Lovesey (Soho Crime; 6 Dec) 
• Stella Maris (Passenger #2). Cormac McCarthy (Knopf; 6 Dec) 
• The Widowmaker. Hannah Morrissey (Minotaur Books; 6 Dec) 
• Young Bloomsbury: The Generation That Redefined Love, Freedom, and Self-Expression in 1920s England. Nino Strachey (Atria Books; 6 Dec) 

..........

Books Read in 2022

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2022.

I generally think of 50 books as my annual goal, but I'm always really happy if I make it to 40. In 2021 I actually managed to read 52 books. I'd love to do that well again in 2022, but the way this year is starting out, I don't have high hopes. We'll see what develops.

JANUARY

1. Homicide Trinity (Nero Wolfe #36). Rex Stout (1962; fiction / mystery; 220 pages) 
2. The Stately Home Murder (Inspector Sloan #3). Catherine Aird (1969; fiction / mystery; 160 pages) 

FEBRUARY

3. The Hidden. Melanie Golding (2021; fiction / mystery; 304 pages)
4. Bright April. Marguerite de Angeli (1946; children's fiction / middle grade fiction; 88 pages) 
5. The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night. Peter Spier; illus. by author (1961; children's fiction / picture book; 48 pages; Caldecott Honor Book, 1962)
6. Blueberries for Sal. Robert McCloskey; illus. by author (1948; children's fiction / picture book; 64 pages; Caldecott Honor Book, 1949) 
7. Skippyjon Jones. Judy Schachner; illus. by author (2003; children's fiction / picture book; 32 pages)
8. The Barnabus Project. Eric, Terry, and Devin Fan; illus. by authors (2020; children's fiction / picture book; 72 pages) 
9. The Night Gardener. Terry and Eric Fan; illus. by authors (2016; children's fiction / picture book; 48 pages) 
10. How to Live with a Calculating Cat. Eric Gurney, illus; William Nettleton, text (1962; humor; 128 pages) 

MARCH

11. The Christie Affair. Nina de Gramont (2022; historical fiction; 320 pages) 
12. The Case of the Silent Partner (Perry Mason #17). Erle Stanley Gardner (1940; fiction / mystery; 215 pages) 

APRIL

13. City of the Dead (Alex Delaware #37). Jonathan Kellerman (2022; fiction / mystery; 336 pages) 
14. Amelia Bedelia. Peggy Parish; illus. by Fritz Siebel (1963; children's literature / picture book; 40 pages) 
15. The Children on the Hill. Jennifer McMahon (2022; fiction / horror; 352 pages)
16. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Lewis Carroll (1871; children's literature / fantasy; 166 pages; this was a re-read) 
17. The Moving Target (Lew Archer #1). Ross Macdonald (1949; fiction / mystery; 256 pages)

MAY

18. The Fashion Orphans. Randy Susan Meyers & M.J. Rose (2022; fiction / chick lit; 304 pages) 
19. Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe #9). Rex Stout (1942; fiction / mystery; 209 pages) 
20. The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws. Margaret Drabble (2009; nonfiction / autobiography / cultural history; 368 pages) 

JUNE

21. The Marlow Murder Club (Marlow Murder Club #1). Robert Thorogood (2021/2022; fiction / mystery; 352 pages)  

JULY

22. Mrs Armitage on Wheels. Quentin Blake; illus. by author (1987; children's literature / picture book; 32 pages) 
23. Death by Beach Read (Lighthouse Library Mystery #9). Eva Gates (2022; fiction / mystery; 288 pages) 
24. Chrysalis (Jeremy Logan #6). Lincoln Child (2022; fiction / thriller; 304 pages)  

AUGUST

25. Afternoon of the Elves. Janet Taylor Lisle (1989; children's literature / middle grade; 128 pages) 
26. Many Moons. James Thurber; illus. by Louis Slobodkin (1943; children's literature; 45 pages) 
27. J.R. Silver Writes Her World. Melissa Dassori; illus. by Chelen Aecija (2022; children's literature / middle grade fiction; 272 pages)
28. Howliday Inn (Bunnicula Series #2). James Howe; illus. by Lynn Munsinger (1982; children's literature / fantasy; 195 pages) 
29. Small Angels. Lauren Owen (2022; fiction; 400 pages) 
30. The Omega Factor. Steve Berry (2022; fiction / thriller; 464 pages)

SEPTEMBER

31. Stay Awake. Megan Goldin (2022; fiction / thriller; 352 pages) 
32. Back to the Garden. Laurie R. King (2022; fiction / mystery; 352 pages) 
33. Late Harvest Havoc (Winemaker Detective #10). Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen; trans. by Sally Pane (2015; fiction / mystery; 167 pages) 

OCTOBER

34. The Final Equinox (Theo Cray & Jessica Blackwood #2). Andrew Mayne (2022; fiction / thriller; 336 pages) 
35. Night at the Vulcan (Inspector Roderick Alleyn #16). Ngaio Marsh (1951; fiction / mystery; 236 pages) 
36. James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl; illus. by Quentin Blake (1961; children's literature; 151 pages) 

NOVEMBER 

37. The Shadow Over Innsmouth. H.P. Lovecraft (1936; fiction / horror; 110 pages)
38. The Wanderer in Unknown Realms. John Connolly (2013; historical fiction / horror; 128 pages) 
39. Gambit (Nero Wolfe #37). Rex Stout (1962; mystery; 208 pages)
40. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng (Aloysius Pendergast #21). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (Jan 2023; fiction / thriller; 368 pages) 

DECEMBER

41. Terminal Freeze (Jeremy Logan #2). Lincoln Child (2008; fiction / sci-fi thriller; 450 pages) 
42. The Chalmers Case (Markham Sisters #3). Diana Xarissa (2015; fiction / mystery; 106 pages) 
43. The Headless Cupid (Stanley Family #1). Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1971; mystery / children's literature / middle grade fiction; 228 pages) 

........

📚📚📚📚📚

2021 Reading Challenge Announcements

The 2021 List

(In roughly alphabetical order,
with links to announcement/signup posts/pages.)

The challenges listed here are, in general (although it's not a strict rule), year-long challenges, open to everyone. I don't usually list read-a-thons, read-alongs, "personal" challenges, or challenges linked to special days or time periods.

This list is NOT meant to be a complete list of ALL the reading challenges available for 2021. It's mainly just challenges that seem attractive to me. And I'm not necessarily recommending any of these — just keeping track.

Also ― I haven't signed up for ALL these challenges! I'm sure I'll be joining in for a few, but definitely not all. (See the challenges I'm participating in HERE.)

Two more things. In general I'm not a fan of the "check list" type of reading challenge with a bunch of set categories — so I'll list a few, but not every one of them. Also, I don't do a lot of social media hanging out, so if a challenge is being hosted primarily on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, you probably won't find it on this list.

For more comprehensive, up-to-date lists of 2021 Reading Challenges, you can check the Reading Challenge Addict website.

1. 2021 A to Z Reading Challenge | Host: Bookstacks & Golden Moms. 
2. 2021 Aussie Author Reading Challenge | Host: Booklover Book Reviews. 
   
3. Back to the Classics Challenge 2021 | Host: Karen K. @ Books and Chocolate.  
4. 2021 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge | Host: Novel Knight. 
   
5. Books in Translation Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Introverted Reader.
   
6. British Crime Classics Challenge | Host: The Book Decoder.
   
7. Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK. 
8. 2021 Children's Book Reading Challenge - for Adults | Host: Belle's Library.  
9. Chunkster Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Impressions in Ink.
   
10. 2021 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge | Host: Carol @ Carol's Notebook. 
    
11. Color Coded Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK.  
12. Creativity Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Jamie Ghione @ Whatever I Think Of! 
13. Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews. 
    
14. 2021 Diversify Your Reading Challenge | Host: Kelly Mongan @ Mongan Moments. 
15. 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge | Host: Celebrity Readers.
    
16. 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge | Host: Lukten av trykksverte. 
17. 2021 Dystopia Reading Challenge | Host: Brittani @ Game, Read, Teach. 
18. Epistolary Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Jamie Ghione @ Whatever I Think Of!. 
19. 2021 European Reading Challenge | Host: Gilion Dumas @ Rose City Reader.
20. 2021 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge | Host: Celebrity Readers.
    
21. 2021 Georgian Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews. 
    
22. Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader.
    
23. Humor Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Jamie Ghione @ Whatever I Think Of!. 
24. Japanese Literature Challenge 14 | Host: Dolce Bellezza. (Note: This challenge runs from January to March 2021)
    
25. Memoir Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Jamie Ghione @ Whatever I Think Of!.  
26. Mental Health Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Jamie Ghione @ Whatever I Think Of!. 
27. 2021 Monthly Book Award Reading Challenge | Host: Kim & Tanya @ GirlXOXO. 
    
28. 2021 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge | Host: Kim & Tanya @ GirlXOXO.
    
29. 2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge | Host: Kim & Tanya @ GirlXOXO.
    
30. Mount TBR Challenge 2021 | Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK.  
31. Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews. 
    
32. 2021 Newbery Reading Challenge | Host: Julie @ Smiling Shelves. 
33. 2021 New Release Challenge | Hosts: Linda & Brandee @ (Un) Conventional Bookworms. 
    
34. 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge | Host: Book'd Out.  
35. The Purrfect Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews.
    
36. Read It Again, Sam 2021 | Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK. 
37. Read the Alphabet Challenge | Host: Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
    
38. Southern Literature Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Introverted Reader.  
39. The Sweet Southern Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Readeropolis.
    
40. Space Time Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Jemima @ Jemima Pett. 
41. 2021 Victorian Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews. 
42. 2021 Victorian Reading Challenge | Host: Belle's Library.
    
43. Vintage Scattergories: Vintage Mystery Challenge 2021 | Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK. 
44. Virtual Mount TBR Challenge 2021 | Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK. 
45. What An Animal Reading Challenge 2021 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews.  
46. What's In a Name 2021 | Host: Andrea @ Carolina Book Nook. 
47. When Are You Reading? Challenge 2021 | Host: Sam @ Taking On a World of Words. 
48. 2021 Witchy Year Reading Challenge | Host: Julie @ Julie Cornewell.
    
49. 2021 World War II Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews.
    

.....