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My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
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- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

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32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

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5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

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17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

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15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Friday, January 01, 2016

So What If I Haven't Actually Completed a Reading Challenge In Years? I'm In!

Even though it's been many moons since I actually completed a reading challenge, I still get excited about joining them.  There are two that caught my eye this year:


Hosted by BookloverBookReviews.com, the Aussie Author Challenge celebrates writers from The Land Down Under.  I've recently discovered several fabulous Aussie authors, so I thought this would be a fun way to find more.  I'm going for the Wallaroo level, which requires that I read 6 books by Australian writers—at least two must be female, at least two must be male, at least two must be new-to-me authors, and the books must be in at least two different genres.  Okey dokey!

1.  The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty (women's fiction)
2.  The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (historical fiction)
3.  The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (contemporary romance)
4.  The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (historical fiction)
5.  I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (mystery/thriller)
6.  Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (fantasy)


The 2016 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge is hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book.  It's probably self-explanatory—you read 26 books, each title of which starts with a different letter of the alphabet (you can drop A and The to make it easier).  Here's what I plan to read:

A - After You by Jojo Moyes
B - Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little
C - Christy by Catherine Marshall
D - Discovery of Witches, A by Deborah Harkness
E - Everfound by Neal Shusterman
F - Fairest by Marissa Meyer
G - Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
H - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I - I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
J - Japanese Lover, The by Isabel Allende
K - Kept, The by James Scott
L - Last Anniversary, The by Liane Moriarty
M - Murder Complex, The by Lindsay Cummings
N - Narrow Road to the Deep North, The by Richard Flanagan
O - Oregon Trail, The by Rinker Buck
P - Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Q - Quiet Game, The by Greg Iles
R - Rosie Effect, The by Graeme Simsion
S - Ship of Brides, The by Jojo Moyes
T - These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
U - Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
V - Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
W - Winter by Marissa Meyer
X - X'ed Out X-Ray, The by Ron Roy
Y - Yours Truly by Kirsty Greenwood
Z - Zeroes by Scott Westerfield

2016: My Year in Books


Is anyone else in denial that it's 2016 already?  2016!  Wow.  

First of all, Happy New Year to you!  Thank you so much for supporting my blog in 2015.  I appreciate every follower, every comment, every interaction that makes this book blogging gig so enjoyable.  There will be more reviews, giveaways, and fun in 2016, so please stick around!  

As you probably guessed, I didn't get around to reviewing all the books I read in 2015 before the year slipped away.  Hopefully, I can get caught up this month.  I'm only 28 or so behind ... easy cheesy.  

I did read a lot in 2015, even if I slacked on reviewing.  Here's how my reading year looked:

Total books read:  149 (10 more than last year)

Number of fiction books read:  140 (95%)
Number of non-fiction books read:  8 (5%)
Number of adult books read:  86 (58%)
Number of YA books read:  43 (29%)
Number of MG/chapter books read:  20 (13%)
Number of books read by female authors:  120 (81%)
Number of books read by male authors:  28 (19%)
Number of books read by LDS authors:  32 (22%)
Number of books read from personal collection:  26 (18%)
Number of books read, review copies:  73 (49%)
Number of books read from library:  52 (35%)
Reading challenges joined in 2015: 3
Reading challenges completed in 2015:  0 

Interestingly enough, I read 40 more adult books and 26 fewer YA books this year than I did last year.  Does that mean I'm maturing?   I also read more review and library books, less from my own collection.  As far as fiction vs. non-fiction, the ratio hasn't changed much over the years.  Yes, I need to read more non-fiction, but will I?  Probably not.  Female authors I read also greatly outnumber male authors, as per usual.  I should probably try harder to balance that statistic out.  Overall, the only thing about this year's numbers that really surprises me is how much I detoured away from YA books in comparison to other years.  I guess that what happens when you turn 40?  

As I do every year, I'm going to list the books I read this year at the bottom of this post, more for my records than anything else.  Favorites are marked by an asterisk.  

So, how was your year in books?  Did you meet any goals you set last year?  Read anything super awesome?  I'd love to hear about it.  

Best wishes for an amazing 2016!

BOOKS READ IN 2015 (ASTERISKS DENOTE FAVORITES)

  • 149. THE 5TH WAVE BY RICK YANCEY (DEC)
  • 148. HOME AND AWAY: A WORLD WAR II CHRISTMAS STORY BY DEAN HUGHES (DEC)
  • 147. ME BEFORE YOU BY JOJO MOYES* (DEC)
  • 146. WOLF BY WOLF BY RYAN GRAUDIN (DEC)
  • 145. THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES BY REBECCA PODOS (DEC)
  • 144. SHALLOW GRAVES BY KALI WALLACE (DEC)
  • 143. I KILL THE MOCKINGBIRD BY PAUL ACAMPORA (DEC)
  • 142. TRIGGER WARNING BY NEIL GAIMAN (DEC)
  • 141. THE SOUND OF GLASS BY KAREN WHITE (DEC)
  • 140. THE GATES OF EVANGELINE BY HESTER YOUNG (NOV)
  • 139. ONE PLUS ONE BY JOJO MOYES (NOV)
  • 138. THE FURIES BY NATALIE HAYNES (NOV)
  • 137. SALT TO THE SEA BY RUTA SEPETYS* (NOV)
  • 136. PARTY STYLE BY GEMMA LYNN TOUCHSTONE (NOV)
  • 135. THE EIGHT BY KATHERINE NEVILLE (NOV)
  • 134. THE BOOK IS TRUE BY MICHAEL MORTON AND JOHN WUDEL [A FRIEND'S MANUSCRIPT] (NOV)
  • 133. LIBRARY OF SOULS BY RANSOM RIGGS (NOV)
  • 132. RULES FOR STEALING STARS BY COREY ANN HAYDU (NOV)
  • 131. THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY BY STEPHANIE OAKES (OCT)
  • 130. A RULE AGAINST MURDER BY LOUISE PENNY* (OCT)
  • 129. AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS BY SARAH WEEKS (OCT)
  • 128. CRENSHAW BY KATHERINE APPLEGATE (OCT)
  • 127. A TALE OF HIGHLY UNUSUAL MAGIC BY LISA PAPADEMETRIOU (OCT)
  • 126. THE ITALIAN WIFE BY KATE FURNIVALL* (OCT)
  • 125. INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN BY THANHHA LAI (OCT)
  • 124. THE GIRL IN THE TORCH BY ROBERT SHARENOW (OCT)
  • 123. STONES IN THE ROAD BY E.B. MOORE (OCT)
  • 122. TERRIBLE TYPHOID MARY BY SUSAN CAMPBELL BARTOLETTI (OCT)
  • 121. LOST IN THE SUN BY LISA GRAFF (OCT)
  • 120. THE ART OF CRASH LANDING BY MELISSA DECARLO (OCT)
  • 119. WESTLY: A SPIDER'S TALE BY BRYAN BEUS (OCT)
  • 118. ALWAYS WILL BY MELANIE JACOBSON (OCT)
  • 117. NEVER SAID BY CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS (OCT)
  • 116. HOLLOW CITY BY RANSOM RIGGS* (SEP)
  • 115. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN BY RANSOM RIGGS* [RE-READ] (SEP)
  • 114. A CURIOUS BEGINNING BY DEANNA RAYBOURN* (SEP)
  • 113. 101 MOVIES TO SEE BEFORE YOU GROW UP BY SUZETTE VALLE (SEP)
  • 112. HEART'S JOURNEY BY KRISTEN MCKENDRY (SEP)
  • 111. A GILDED GRAVE BY SHELLEY FREYDONT (SEP)
  • 110. SIMPLY ANNA BY JENNIFER MOORE (SEP)
  • 109. VENGEANCE ROAD BY ERIN BOWMAN* (SEP)
  • 108. AGAIN AND AGAIN BY ELLEN BRAVO (SEP)
  • 107. THE PARIS KEY BY JULIET BLACKWELL (SEP)
  • 106. 10 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER AFTER SERVING A MISSION BY BENJAMIN HYRUM WHITE (SEP)
  • 105. ALL THE DIFFERENCE BY LEAH FERGUSON (SEP)
  • 104. THE SPARROW SISTERS BY ELLEN HERRICK (SEP)
  • 103. UNDERSTANDING YOUR ENDOWMENT BY CORY B. JENSEN (AUG)
  • 102. NO COMFORT FOR THE LOST BY NANCY HERRIMAN (AUG)
  • 101. THE ZOMBIE PROJECT (BOXCAR CHILDREN #128) BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER (AUG)
  • 100.  THE EVIDENCE ROOM by Cameron Harvey (AUg)
  • 99. I AM DAVID BY ANNE HOLM (AUG)
  • 98. THE ICE TWINS BY S.K. TREMAYNE (AUG)
  • 97. JUST MERCY BY BRYAN STEVENSON (AUG)
  • 96. THE LAKE HOUSE BY KATE MORTON* (AUG)
  • 95. THE CRUELEST MONTH BY LOUISE PENNY* (AUG)
  • 94. ORPHAN #8 BY KIM VAN ALKEMADE (AUG)
  • 93. LAST RAGGED BREATH BY JULIA KELLER* (AUG)
  • 92. REBEL MECHANICS BY SHANNA SWENDSON* (AUG)
  • 91. BETWEEN THE TIDES BY SUSANNAH MARREN (JUL)
  • 90. INK AND BONE BY RACHEL CAINE (JUL)
  • 89. THE MELODY LINGERS ON BY MARY HIGGINS CLARK (JUL)
  • 88. A FATAL GRACE BY LOUISE PENNY* (JUL)
  • 87. AFTER I'M GONE BY LAURA LIPPMAN (JUL)
  • 86. FLIPPED BY WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN (JUL)
  • 85. GO SET A WATCHMAN BY HARPER LEE* (JUL)
  • 84. THE NIGHT SISTER BY JENNIFER MCMAHON* (JUL)
  • 83. BONES ON ICE BY KATHY REICHS [NOVELLA] (JUL)
  • 82. BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE BY KATE DICAMILLO (JUL)
  • 81. DAUGHTER OF DEEP SILENCE BY CARRIE RYAN (JUL)
  • 80. MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING BY VIKTOR E. FRANKL (JUL)
  • 79. STILL LIFE BY LOUISE PENNY* (JUL)
  • 78. EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING BY NICOLA YOON (JUL)
  • 77. SUMMER OF THE DEAD BY JULIA KELLER (JUL)
  • 76. JURASSIC PARK BY MICHAEL CRICHTON (JUL)
  • 75. EARTHBOUND BY APRILYNNE PIKE (JUL)
  • 74. THE BOOK OF SPECULATION BY ERIKA SWYLER (JUL)
  • 73. BITTER RIVER BY JULIA KELLER (JUN)
  • 72. THE LEVELLER BY JULIA DURANGO (JUN)
  • 71. A KILLING IN THE HILLS BY JULIA KELLER (JUN)
  • 70. AT THE WATER'S EDGE BY SARA GRUEN* (JUN)
  • 69. A MADNESS SO DISCREET BY MINDY MCGINNIS (JUN)
  • 68. REMEMBER MIA BY ALEXANDRA BURT (JUN)
  • 67. THE FIRST WIFE BY ERICA SPINDLER (JUN)
  • 66. CROOKED HOUSE BY MARLENE BATEMAN (JUN)
  • 65. THE HOUSE AT SEA'S END BY ELLY GRIFFITHS (JUN)
  • 64. THE HUSBAND'S SECRET BY LIANE MORIARTY (JUN)
  • 63. LET ME DIE IN HIS FOOTSTEPS BY LORI ROY (JUN)
  • 62. THE LAST TOWN BY BLAKE CROUCH (MAY)
  • 61. CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS BY LISA LUTZ* (MAY)
  • 60. THE HOUSE OF HAWTHORNE BY ERIKA ROBUCK (MAY)
  • 59. SPEAKING IN BONES BY KATHY REICHS* (MAY)
  • 58. KEEP IT REAL AND GRAB A PLUNGER BY JULIE K. NELSON (MAY)
  • 57. IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLACIER BY VICKI DELANEY (MAY)
  • 56. WAYWARD BY BLAKE CROUCH (MAY)
  • 55. HUGO & ROSE BY BRIDGET FOLEY (MAY)
  • 54. UNDER A PAINTED SKY BY STACEY LEE* (MAY)
  • 53. PINES BY BLAKE CROUCH* (APR)
  • 52. NOT IN THE SCRIPT BY AMY FINNEGAN (APR)
  • 51. EVEN IN DARKNESS BY BARBARA STARK-NEMON (APR)
  • 50. TOP TEN CLUES YOU'RE CLUELESS BY LIZ CZUKAS (APR)
  • 49. KISS KILL VANISH BY JESSICA MARTINEZ (APR)
  • 48. WHAT ALICE FORGOT BY LIANE MORIARTY* (APR)
  • 47. THE SPELLMAN FILES BY LISA LUTZ* (APR)
  • 46. HAVEN LAKE BY HOLLY ROBINSON (APR)
  • 45. THE 100 BY KASS MORGAN (APR)
  • 44. THE JANUS STONE BY ELLY GRIFFITHS* (APR)
  • 43. A HEART REVEALED BY JOSI S. KILPACK* (APR)
  • 42. MISS BURTON UNMASKS A PRINCE BY JENNIFER MOORE (APR)
  • 41. THE CROSSING PLACES BY ELLY GRIFFITHS* (APR)
  • 40. THE SIN EATER'S DAUGHTER BY MELINDA SALISBURY (APR)
  • 39. THE LAST SIN EATER BY FRANCINE RIVERS (MAR)
  • 38. ONE KICK BY CHELSEA CAIN (MAR)
  • 37. THE NIGHTINGALE BY KRISTIN HANNAH (MAR)
  • 36. EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU BY CELESTE NG (MAR)
  • 35. SILENCE BY DEBORAH LYTTON (MAR)
  • 34. THE HOLLOW GROUND BY NATALIE S. HARNETT (MAR)
  • 33. STELLA BY STARLIGHT BY SHARON M. DRAPER (MAR)
  • 32. SWORN TO SILENCE BY LINDA CASTILLO (MAR)
  • 31. SPLINTERS OF LIGHT BY RACHAEL HERRON (MAR)
  • 30. FIVE KINGDOMS: SKY RAIDERS BY BRANDON MULL (MAR)
  • 29. ALMOST SUPER BY MARION JENSEN (MAR)
  • 28. THE PRINCESS IN BLACK BY SHANNON AND DEAN HALE* (MAR)
  • 27. SON OF WAR, DAUGHTER OF CHAOS BY JANETTE RALLISON (MAR)
  • 26. THE UNHAPPENING OF GENESIS LEE BY SHALLEE MCARTHUR (MAR)
  • 25. ILLUSIONS OF FATE BY KIERSTEN WHITE* (MAR)
  • 24. RUINS BY DAN WELLS (FEB)
  • 23. THE PAPER MAGICIAN BY CHARLIE N. HOLMBERG (FEB)
  • 22. THE BELLWEATHER RHAPSODY BY KATE RACCULIA (FEB)
  • 21. THE ROSIE PROJECT BY GRAEME SIMSION* (FEB)
  • 20. THE SHADOW CABINET BY MAUREEN JOHNSON* (FEB)
  • 19. THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST BY HOLLY BLACK (FEB)
  • 18. FRAGMENTS BY DAN WELLS (FEB)
  • 17. PARTIALS BY DAN WELLS [RE-READ] (JAN)
  • 16. WHERE THEY FOUND HER BY KIMBERLY MCCREIGHT (JAN)
  • 15. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN BY PAULA HAWKINS (JAN)
  • 14. A SISTER TO HONOR BY LUCY FERRISS (JAN)
  • 13. BETRAYED BY RONDA GIBB HINRICHSEN (JAN)
  • 12. THE END OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT BY ANN DEE ELLIS (JAN)
  • 11. DEATH COMING UP THE HILL BY CHRIS CROWE* (JAN)
  • 10. STRONGER THAN YOU KNOW BY JOLENE PERRY (JAN)
  • 9. A HANDFUL OF STARS BY CYNTHIA LORD* (JAN)
  • 8. SIGNED, SKYE HARPER BY CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS* (JAN)
  • 7. THE TRAGEDY PAPER BY ELIZABETH LABAN (JAN)
  • 6. A STORYBOOK ROMANCE BY MELANIE JACOBSON, JENNIFER K. CLARK AND JULIE DAINES (JAN)
  • 5. WHAT IS FOUND, WHAT IS LOST BY ANNE LEIGH PARRISH (JAN)
  • 4. THE CAGE BY MEGAN SHEPHERD* (JAN)
  • 3. THE SCANDALOUS SISTERHOOD OF PRICKWILLOW PLACE BY JULIE BERRY* (JAN)
  • 2. AN UNCOMMON BLUE BY R.C. HANCOCK (JAN)
  • 1. THE RESURRECTION OF TESS BLESSING BY LESLEY KAGEN (JAN)
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<i>Reading</i>
End of Story by A.J. Finn

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



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2024 Reading Challenge

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