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2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


30 / 30 books. 100% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (4)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (4)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)

International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (4)
- China (2)
- England (27)
- France (2)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (2)
- Russia (2)
- Scotland (3)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


51 / 51 states. 100% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 50 books. 104% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


36 / 50 books. 72% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


51 / 52 books. 98% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


37 / 40 books. 93% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


18 / 40 books. 45% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


25 / 25 cozies. 100% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


5 / 26.2 miles (4th lap). 19% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


51 / 100 books. 51% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


98 / 109 books. 90% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


139 / 165 books. 84% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


88 / 100 names. 88% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


40 / 80 skills. 50% done!
Thursday, December 30, 2021

Too Many Reading Challenges? No Such Thing!

One last post for the day...I promise! 

You all know how much I adore my reading challenges. I love seeing new ones pop up this time of year. There are so many great ones out there for 2022; believe you me, I wanted to join them all! I managed to limit myself to *just* ten. Before you all stage an intervention, recognize that the first five aren't all that challenging because they encompass what I usually read and track anyway. The last five, though? Well, we'll see how I do.

1.  2022 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Lori @Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book


This is probably my favorite challenge ever, so I do it every year. It requires reading one book set in each of the 50 U.S. states, plus D.C. You also get points for reading books set in other countries.



Since I rocked this challenge so hard this year, I'm going to join at the highest level once again. I'm going "Prehistoric" by pledging to read 50+ books.



I'm still enjoying my cozy reading, although I didn't read as many as I wanted to in 2021. For 2022, I'm going to join at the "Peckish" level once again. That involves reading 1-25 cozies, so that shouldn't be too tough.



I always enjoy doing this yearly challenge, so I'm signing up again. Let's see if I can beat 11th place in 2022!



I'm not sure why I've never joined this annual challenge before since it's right up my alley. All you have to do is read mystery books (including suspense/thriller/crime, etc.). Easy peasy! I'm joining at the highest level—Sherlock Holmes (naturally)—which requires you to read 56+ mystery books.


This challenge requires you to read books from 52 different reading prompts. There are lots of fun ones this year.



I'm super excited for this one, which requires reading books by Australian authors. There's even a lucrative prize for the person who posts the most reviews of books that fit the challenge requirements! I can always use book money, so I'm going to go for the "Emu" level. It's described as follows: Read and review 24 books written by Australian Authors of which at least 10 of those authors are female, at least 10 of those authors are male, and at least 10 of those authors are new to you; Fiction or non-fiction, at least 4 different genre. Sounds fun!

8.  2022 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae @Book'd Out


I didn't read tons of non-fiction this year, but I quite enjoyed the ones I did read. So, I'm thinking taking on this challenge will be a good way to push me to read more in this genre. I'm going to do the "Nonfiction Grazer" level, which involves reading any nonfiction books and setting your own goal. Since I only read ten non-fiction books this year, I think I'll push myself a bit and set my goal at 20.



As the title suggests, this challenge has 50 prompts to fulfill. 


Prompt-based challenges are my jam, as you can clearly see! This one has 40, all of which have something to do with having an adventure.

Whew! What do you think? Can I finish all these? Since I can use one book for prompts on multiple challenge lists, I think it's doable. Even if I totally fail, at least I'll have fun finding new books to read. Wish me luck!

If you're looking for a reading challenge (or ten) to join for the new year, check out my other blog by clicking here or on the banner below. I keep a running list of challenges being hosted all over the book blogosphere. If you're hosting one and you don't see it listed on my site, please let me know. I'm happy to add you to the database.


Boo and Yeah: A (Mostly) Successful Year With Reading Challenges

So, book lovers, what are your thoughts on reading challenges? Obviously, I adore them. Even when I don't finish them (which is most of the time), I still have a ball finding books that fit prompts, making check marks on challenge lists, and seeing others challengers' progress. It's just...fun. This year, I'm patting myself on the back a bit because I actually did pretty well with all of my challenges. Just because I only completed a few of them doesn't mean I didn't expand my reading horizons, find some great books to read, and have myself a good ole time. My kids say I have no idea what real fun is. I can't imagine why...

Let's start with my successes. My biggest one is first:

2021 Reading Challenge

2021 Reading Challenge
Susan has completed her goal of reading 200 books in 2021!
hide

Boom! For the first time ever, I met (and surpasses, thank you very much) my goal of reading 200 books in a year. I love tracking my reading with Goodreads


The Literary Escapes Challenge is one I enjoy doing every year. This time around, I read at least one book set in every state in the U.S. plus D.C. I also read books set in 14 different countries. 

My Top Five most traveled to U.S. destinations were:

1. New York (12 books)
2. California (11 books)
3. Illinois, Ohio, and Texas (tie—7 books each)
4. Washington (6 books)
5. Pennsylvania and Vermont (tie—5 books)

My Top Five most traveled to international destinations were:

1. England (21 books)
2. Canada (8 books)
3. Australia (3 books)
4. China, France, and Ireland (tie—2 books)
5. The rest tied with one book each.


Let's be honest: I read so much historical fiction anyway that the annual Historical Fiction Reading Challenge isn't really a challenge for me. Still, I pledged to complete the "Prehistoric" level, which involved reading at least 50 historical novels and I ended up reading 61. Boo yeah!


Same goes with mysteries. I read tons of them, so the Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge is a yearly no-brainer for me. According to Rick's meticulous notes, I read 82 murder mysteries and tied 433 toe tags (meaning I recorded that many fictional deaths, at least those that included names and causes of deaths). Incredibly, this only put me in 11th place for this challenge. The winner tied a total of 1782 toe tags. Wow!


Update:  I thought I hadn't reached my goal with this year's Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge, but then I took a closer look at the rules. I signed up for the "Peckish" level, which requires reading 1-25 cozies. With 12 read, I'd say I met my goal. Sweet.

I didn't do quite as well on these:



Sadly, I did not finish my own challenge. For shame! You can read my wrap-up post for all the deets on this one.


I've yet to ever complete this yearly challenge. It features 50 main book prompts and 10 advanced ones. How did I do with the 2021 challenge? 


42 / 52 books. 81% done!

Not too shabby, thank you very much. There are A LOT of prompts in this one and I'm kind of anal about fulfilling them with exactness. So, yeah.


Booklist Queen's annual challenge has 52 prompts. How many did I complete?



44 / 52 books. 85% done!

Again, not too bad. 

As its name indicates, the 52 Club's annual reading challenge involves knocking out 52 reading prompts. How many did I get?



48 / 52 books. 92% done!

So close!

All in all, I did pretty well with my reading challenges. I'm proud of my 2021 efforts.

Stay tuned to see which reading challenges I'm tackling in 2022. Also, if you're a reading challenge fanatic like I am, definitely check out my other blog, where I list all the reading challenges I can find in the book blogosphere. If you're hosting one that I haven't mentioned there yet, please let me know so I can add it to the database.



The Children's Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2021 Wrap-Up Post


One of the goals I made for my 2021 blogging year was to host my own reading challenge. I did it and, although it wasn't a terrible success, it wasn't a total failure either! I learned some things (like don't make the prompts so hard that no one can finish them), which is always good. Thank you to the two lovely ladies who took the challenge with me. None of us quite completed the challenge, but that's okay. I think we at least read some good books.

Since I don't plan on doing any more reading for the challenge today or tomorrow, I'm admitting defeat. Here's what I ended up reading/not reading:

About a war other than World War II Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh

Takes place before 1800 The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley

Set in a country you do not live in Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Main character travels on a ship, train, or covered wagon Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Set in a decade you don't usually choose to read about Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas

A major holiday is celebrated A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

Takes place in a city or region where you have lived The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Features time travel to the past Houdini and Me by Dan Gutman

About a historical disaster, natural or otherwise Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

With a proper noun in the title Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce

- Features a real female hero from the past

Book that relates somehow to your own family history (the main character emigrates from the same country your ancestors did, the MC participates in a historical event your family member did, about someone you're related to, etc.) Beyond the Mapped Stars by Rosalyn Eves

Written by a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) author We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

Features a main character with a different ethnicity, religion, or culture than your own The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

Has an animal on the cover Bluebird by Sharon Cameron

A ghost story Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland

- Features a castle or an old house

- Set in South or Central America

A mystery The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

Set in the decade that one of your parents was born in War and Mollie McGonigle by Karen Cushman

- Concerns an event of historical significance that happened during your lifetime (or your parents' lifetimes if you were born after 2000)

Features a search for gold or other kinds of treasure Behind the Masks by Susan Patron

A person in period clothing on the cover Boston Jane by Jennifer L. Holm

Based on a true story Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood

- A main character who is Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley 

21 out of 25 isn't bad at all, so I'm not going to be too hard on myself for not finishing my own challenge. Ha ha.

For the one of you who asked, no, I will not be bringing the challenge back next year. I wasn't a very good hostess this year and I've got other projects to focus on in 2022. We'll see what happens in 2023!

For the two other participants in the challenge, here's a final Linky to use for posting any reviews or wrap-up posts related to the challenge. Thanks again for hanging in there with me. I appreciate the support! Oh, and if you did finish the challenge and I owe you a book, please let me know.

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Reading

<i>Reading</i>
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth



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